Hubble Telescope Photography Shack Guide
Hubble Telescope Provides Insights Into Space
By Cedric B Georges
Nasa's most advanced scientists to people with a devout
interest in amateur astronomy to explore the universe
and beyond. As successful as the Hubble mission has
been, it can’t last forever. Eventually, atmospheric
conditions and general wear and tear will render Hubble
unusable.
However, scientists and astronauts are taking part
in amazing space missions to perform maintenance on
Hubble and extend the telescope’s life.
Gathering Information About Existence Beyond Earth
Since its historic launch 1990, Hubble has provided
amateur astronomy buffs and Nasa scientists information
about existence beyond Earth. During its first mission,
Hubble was armed with The Wide Field/Planetary Camera,
the Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph, the Faint
Object Camera, the Faint Object Spectrograph, and the
High Speed Photometer.
Since Hubble is orbiting 353 miles above the Earth’s
surface, these pieces of equipment have overcome the
problem of image distortion caused by the atmosphere,
and the images that astronomers are able to view have
unprecedented clarity. The Hubble moves at an incredible
rate of speed.
An Advanced Maintenance Plan With Upgrades And Repairs
It takes 97 minutes for the space telescope to complete
one orbit around the Earth, moving at the speed of about
five miles per second. Traveling at that speed, it would
take Hubble just 10 minutes to cross the United States.
Advanced technology requires an advanced maintenance
plan. At the Goddard Space Flight Center, hundreds of
scientists and engineers closely monitor the performance
of the Hubble Telescope. In 2008, Nasa dispatched space
shuttle crews four times to repair and upgrade the telescope
but on June 30, 2009, the most ambitious maintenance
mission was launched.
Astronauts Refurbish Hubble With New Equipment
The Space Shuttle Atlantis went into space and astronauts
performed space walks to refurbish Hubble with two new
science instruments, six positioning gyroscopes, batteries
and fresh thermal insulation. This mission was performed
in tandem with the European launch of two space
observatories.
The two European instruments are comprised of the Herschel,
the most powerful infrared space telescope ever built,
and Planck, designed to delve into the remnants of the
Big Bang that created the universe some 14 billion years
ago.
Glorified Digital Cameras
So with a one billion dollar price tag, are repairs
to the Hubble really worth it? Many people feel that
space telescopes are little more than glorified digital
cameras, yet they don’t realize the potential medical
and technological advances this research can
bring.
For example, the same technology that enhances Hubble’s
images is now helping physicians perform micro-invasive,
arthroscopy surgery with more accurate diagnoses. Hubble
technology helped improve the micro-endoscope, a surgical
tool that enables surgeons to view what is happening
inside the body on a screen, eliminating the need for
a more invasive diagnostic procedure.
This saves time, money and reduces the discomfort that
patients experience. When you weigh one billion dollars
against human suffering, the cost seems
inconsequential.
Providing A Better View Of The Universe
There are more than three dozen other space telescopes
operating today but none come even close to the workings
of the Hubble Telescope. The latest mission of the Space
Shuttle Atlantis is expected to extend Hubble’s functionality
by at least five years.
This is crucial to astronomers endeavoring to find
out why the size of our universe is shifting at astounding
rates and what the implications of those changes mean
for mankind. Hubble’s mission to give us a better view
of the universe has been surpassed. Given time, Hubble
has the potential to change life here on Earth as well.
About the Author:
Cedric B Georges has written a number of articles on
digital photography including 35mm
Cameras, Best
Digital Camera, First
5 Megapixel Camera, People
in Photos, Image
Editor Software, Cheap
Digital Cameras, Digital
Camera Memory Card, Baby
Birth Announcements, Leather
Photo Albums.
Keep a lookout as more articles from this popular author
on this website in the near future.
More Telescope Facts....
Who first invented telescopes?
Many people inaccurately credit
Galileo with inventing the first telescope. The earliest
evidence of telescopes was actually found in 1608 in
the Netherlands and is accredited to three men: Hans
Lippershey, Zacharias Janssen and Jacob Metius.
It is true that Galileo, a year
later, improved the design but the original concept
of the telescope goes to these three men. In 1668 Isaac
Newton developed the first reflecting telescope.
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