The Hubble Space Telescope

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The Hubble Space Telescope and What It Saw The Hubble Space Telescope helped the world see other worlds, stars, galaxies, and the rest of the universe. The world was left to guess what the rest of the universe looked like, if there were any planets other than the ones known. An astronomer, Edwin Powell Hubble, had the idea to send an industrial telescope into the orbit of the Earth to “Give the world some glasses, so they can see beyond what’s in front of them” (qtd. In Zimmerman 6). The Hubble Telescope was planned throughout the 1940s-50s, designed in 1960s, built in 1970s-80s, and sent into orbit during the 1990s. Changed the way astronomers and astronauts did their work, and would not have happened without unceasing dedication …show more content…
Edwin Powell said, “Stars are too hot, and space is too cold, planets are the only option” (qtd. in Wilkie 36). A suitable place for life needs to be a close enough to a neighbouring star to be warmed up, but not close that it gets burned up. It needs to be packed with chemicals and elements for building advanced molecules of biology, and preferably with a comforting blanket of atmospheric gas to provide nourishment for the life-forms below while at the same time fending off the cosmic bombardments. Bombardments of rays that make the near-vacuum of space such a dangerous place. Hubble has provided groundbreaking views of how stars are born. Hubble helped change our views of the planets in the universe, solar system, and overall structure of the universe. Hubble can observe infrared light (heat radiation), which passes through clouds of dust and and gas to reveal newborn stars (Wilkie 20). Stars from deep within nebulae, such as the Cone Nebula. A false color ultraviolet image of Saturn taken by Hubble reveal the bands of rotating gas that make up the planet’s atmosphere. A star that has thrown off its outer atmosphere, creating a colorful nebula, is one of many amazing images captured by Hubble. Spaced-based observatories need the power of rocket engines to escape the pull of Earth’s gravity. Observatories have became longer and heavier, they have needed more powerful rockets to reach orbit. Rockets were pretty weak, which numbered the amount of payload they could carry. A payload includes the scientific instruments carried by the rocket. The first U.S. satellite, Explorer 1, weighed only 17 pounds. Rockets son became more powerful, allowing for heavier payloads. By 1968, NASA was able to launch the 4,400 pound OAO-2 observatory into orbit (Wilkie 26). In 1991 the space shuttle discovery lifted the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory into