Hubble Space Telescope: See beyond the Milky Way
The Hubble Space Telescope has allowed scientists and the rest of the world to see outer space that was not even imagined a hundred years ago. In fact, it is only in the last hundred years that it has been discovered that there are millions of galaxies beyond our own and that the universe is constantly expanding. Since its launch in 1990, this telescope has been an invaluable source of information for astronomers and scientists around the world. As the Hubble Space Telescope orbits Earth once every 95 minutes, it continues to gather more knowledge not only about our galaxy but also those beyond.
A timeline of the history of the Hubble Space Telescope:
1924: Edwin Hubble looked up at the night sky to disprove the theory of a single galaxy. He showed that instead of just gases and dust, the universe was filled with other galaxies. He was the first to prove that our universe continued to grow and expand. However, he did not have the benefit of the tools we have available today, so his knowledge was still somewhat limited, although his vision was far-reaching.
1924-1983: The concept of a Large Space Telescope (LST) was conceived, designed, revised, developed, and implemented. In 1985, the LST was renamed the Hubble Space Telescope, after the man who started it all.
1990–After launch delays due to conflicts with the Space Shuttle launch, the Hubble Space Telescope was launched into orbit.
1994: The telescope took images of a comet collision and detailed photos of Pluto, as well as giving us more insight into Neptune and Uranus.
1995: Hubble took pictures of the “birth” of a star as it developed out of interstellar clouds.
1996–Hubble Space Telescope photos show that quasars are actually nuclei that light up when a black hole uses energies from surrounding gases and stars.
1997–Hubble takes pictures that prove black holes are bigger than the sun.
1998–The most detailed pictures of the planets in our solar system are taken.
2004 – The Hubble Space Telescope was able to document in images how, when and why stars die and, using Hubble’s ultra-deep field technology, imaged the expanding universe like never before. He also took pictures of Mars when it was closer to Earth than it had been in 60,000 years.
2005 – Took pictures of a comet with a team projected from the Hubble Space Telescope.
Future Developments: The Hubble Space Telescope mission is scheduled to end within this decade. Astronauts will go up, make repairs and evaluate the future utility of this tool in deep space discovery and a decision will be made on whether it should be discontinued or remain in service. But no matter what decision is made, this telescope has been an incredible resource for a broader understanding of space and its limitless possibilities. Thank you, Mr. Hubble.