Hubble Space Telescope

We have studied various optical instruments like microscopes, telescopes, and many more in our previous sessions. Depending on the requirement to view nearby or distant objects, these instruments are used. The lens used in these instruments also varies accordingly. Telescopes are mainly used to view celestial objects clearly. In this session let us learn in brief about the Hubble space telescope and its applications.

What is the Hubble Space Telescope?

Some logics and creations are hard to understand until we find a proper way to explore them. Likewise, when the formation of galaxies and planets could not be easily understood, the Hubble space telescope came in handy to discover and conclude celestial evidence.

The Hubble Space Telescope is also referred to as HST or Hubble. It is a space telescope, and the first sophisticated optical observatory to be placed into orbit around Earth. It is the largest and most versatile telescope on which many research papers have been written. Hubble has made over 1.4 million observations, and has aided to track the interstellar and celestial bodies present in space.

Invention of Hubble Space Telescope

The HST is named after the American astronomer Edwin P. Hubble who has made notable contributions to the field of astronomy and cosmology. The Hubble was built by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) of the United States along with the European Space Agency (ESA).

The project hubble was funded in the year 1970 and was to be planned to be launched in the year 1983. However, after overcoming various technical and financial challenges, Hubble was all set for launch in the year 1990. Hubble Space Telescope is a large space telescope launched in 1990 and is still operational. It was launched in John F. Kennedy space center in Florida. It is expected to decay by 2030-2040. This telescope is operated by NASA, ESA, and Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI). It is one of the significant contributions in studying the reason for the cosmic revelations.

Read more: Optical instruments

Specifications of Hubble Space Telescope

• Hubble measures 13.2 meters i.e., 43.5 feet wide with a maximum diameter of 14 feet (4.2 m). It would approximately weigh 11,110 kilograms (24,500 pounds) on the Earth.
• This solar-powered telescope orbits about 340 miles (547 kilometers) above the Earth, on a path, inclined 28.5 degrees to the equator.
• It is a reflecting telescope that features a large mirror that collects light from celestial objects and directs it into two cameras and two spectrographs.
• HST contains a 94-inch primary mirror, a smaller secondary mirror, along various recording instruments to detect ultraviolet, visible, and infrared light.
• To capture the detailed and high-resolution images, a wide-field planetary camera is placed.
• Hubble features three interferometers known as fine guidance sensors which are helpful in calculating positions of stars as well as the brightnesses.
• Hubble has the capacity to transfer 120 gigabytes of data every week.

Observations of Hubble Space Telescope

Some of the prominent observations made by the HST are as given below:

• The Hubble space telescope is the main instrument in discovering the moons (hydra and nix) around the planet Pluto.
• It made observations of six galaxies merging together
• HST found small concentrations of black holes.
• The Hubble Space Telescope could find infrared radiations too.
• Hubble’s constant was determined after HST observed the Cepheid variables in nearby galaxies.
• Hubble has recorded the birth of stars through turbulent clouds of gas and dust.
• Hubble is the main reason behind discovering dusty disks and stellar nurseries although the Milky Way.
• Using Hubble the presence of black holes is proved.

Hope you have understood about the Hubble Space Telescope. Stay tuned to BYJU’S to know more about various interesting Science and Math concepts.