Four interesting facts about the Hubble Space Telescope

The universe is so large and immense that we currently have no way of telling its exact size. To just give you an idea, it is likely that light, which travels at 186,000 miles per second, wouldn’t reach one end of the universe to the other before the universe ends.

The Hubble Space Telescope is an important piece of technology in this regard. It has been in operation since it was first launched into low Earth orbit in 1990. It is responsible for providing some of the deepest images of the universe ever recorded. However, as per Betway Casino, the Hubble Space Telescope is soon to be replaced by the Webb Space Telescope, which is a joint NASA-ESA-CSA telescope.

1- The famous telescope bears the name of Edwin Hubble

The Hubble Space Telescope has taken its name from a great American astronomer called Edwin Hubble who made some startling discoveries about the universe.

Formerly, it was believed that Andromeda was a nebula. However, the famous scientist proved that it is actually a galaxy that is an astronomical distance away from our Milky Way.

Hubble’s another great discovery was that he disproved the “static universe” theory by giving evidence that galaxies also move.
He died in 1953 but the Hubble Space Telescope was later named in his honour.

2- The Hubble Space Telescope’s Origins

The Hubble Space Telescope was launched into low Earth orbit in 1990. However, it was several decades in the making. Its origins can be traced back to 1946 when astrophysicist Lyman Spitzer Jr. wrote a famous paper arguing for the merits of a space-based telescope. His argument was that we can get better results from an in-orbit telescope as it could view the heavenly bodies without the hindrance of the Earth’s atmosphere.

The famous astrophysicist also lobbied for creating a bigger space telescope. The project was highly costly but the US Congress finally agreed to fund it.

3- The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster

In 1986, a fatal accident known as the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster happened which killed all seven crew members aboard. This was a big blow for the Hubble program.

Following the accident, NASA grounded its space fleet which meant Hubble was left without a ride into space.

Scientists worked on improving the telescope’s sensitivity and its ground control software during the delay. However, the costs reached huge proportions due to the extra years of servicing and storage.

4- $1.5 Billion Blunder

The Hubble Space Telescope was launched into space in 1990. However, upon viewing the first images, scientists were shocked to discover that they had made a big blunder.

They found out that the main focusing mirror of the telescope had been polished to the wrong specifications. This resulted in blurring many of the images. For the following months, the scientists behind the project remained the target of ridicule. Even one publication’s cover branded it a “$1.5 billion Blunder.”

However, NASA managed to correct their mistake in December 1993. That year, a crew of spacewalking astronauts installed an instrument named COSTAR that removed the glitch. After that, the Hubble Space Telescope started transmitting awe-inspiring images of the cosmos.

Astronomy is a highly fascinating subject and its study has greatly evolved since the dawn of human beings. The subject dares to think beyond ourselves and our Earth. It tries to reach the truly unreachable. It has a special appeal to even the most fanatic football fans obsessed with the best goalkeepers of all time, for it studies the most interesting topics of all.

Astronomy is captivating because it helps approach the big questions of the universe. It makes us realize how insignificant we are compared to the vast universe. It lets us appreciate that life is rare and precious. Additionally, Astronomy is a very diverse field that has applications ranging from aerospace and energy to industry and medicine.