Hubble Telescope
Author: George Royal

One of the most important telescopes in the history of
astronomy, the Hubble telescope has allowed observers to peer
farther into space than any previous telescope. By moving
outside and above the atmosphere of the earth, the Hubble
telescope has been able to observe visual data much more
clearly than a terrestrial telescope, and it has been able to
see much farther into the ultraviolet and infrared spectrums as
well, since these spectra are largely absorbed by the earth's
atmosphere. Thus, by moving the observing platform into open
space, the Hubble telescope has given a much clearer view of
the universe, allowing scientists to peer even deeper into
space.

The Hubble telescope is named for Edwin Hubble, the astronomer
who originally determined that the universe is expanding. This
discovery, one of the foundations of modern astronomy and
cosmology, made Hubble an excellent choice for the honor of
having this telescope named for him.

The concept for the Hubble telescope was originally the idea of
Lyman Spitzer back in 1946. He clearly saw that earth-based
telescopes were inherently limited in their ability to see into
the heavens, since dust, clouds, and even turbulence in the
atmosphere interfered with telescopes' clarity. Which meant
that the best way to get a clear image from a telescope was
with a telescope that was in orbit around the earth.

After some success with the smaller Orbiting Astronomical
Observatory, the plan for a large scale telescope was born.
There were some fits and starts however, mostly due to budget
constraints, and the project did not really take off until the
1970's and funding was not approved until 1978. Then, with
funding in place, plans were made to launch the Hubble
telescope in 1983. However, due to various delays, it was not
actually launched until 1990.

After a few early problems, the Hubble telescope finally
started sending back clear images. And those images were well
worth the effort. The Hubble telescope was able to achieve a
sharpness and resolution that was unimaginable with a standard,
earth-bound telescope; crisp images that not only showed new
detail in known areas of space, but also peered deeper into
space than ever before. And with these new images, astronomers
have been able to discover new and exciting information about
our universe.

However, it is not only astronomers who have been amazed at the
images that the Hubble telescope has produced. In fact, the
images from Hubble are delights to view all on their own. From
the clearly defined galaxies, to pictures of nebulae, to the
Apollo 15 landing site, Hubble has been as exciting for the
public as it has been for scientists.

As the Hubble telescope ages, its future is uncertain.
Corrective software has allowed earth-based telescopes to pick
up much of the information previously possible only with a
space-based telescope. And as NASA retools itself to follow its
mandate to take a man to Mars, money that would be spent on
maintenance of the Hubble is being spent elsewhere. However,
before the Hubble telescope enters the atmosphere sometime in
2010, it will provide a remarkable window into the universe and
all that is in it.


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