In the quest for knowledge about outer space and the Solar System , the Hubble Space Telescope was born . It is an instrument capable of obtaining high-quality images at high altitudes, despite the limitations imposed by its location at the outer edge of the atmosphere. It is named after the famous American astronomer Edwin Hubble , who greatly contributed to our understanding of the Universe.
In this article, we will explain how the Hubble Space Telescope works and what discoveries it has made since its inception. Do you want to know more about it?
Key features
This telescope is located at the outer edges of the atmosphere. Its orbit is 593 km above sea level. It takes only about 97 minutes to complete one orbit around the Earth. It was first launched into orbit on April 24, 1990, to obtain higher-resolution images.
Its dimensions include a weight of approximately 11.000 kilograms and a cylindrical shape with a diameter of 4,2 meters and a length of 13,2 meters. As you can see, it is an enormous telescope in size, and yet it is able to float in the atmosphere due to the absence of gravity.
The Hubble Space Telescope is able to reflect the light that reaches it thanks to its two mirrors. The mirrors are also quite large; one of them measures 2,4 meters in diameter. It is ideal for exploring the sky because it has three cameras and several spectrometers integrated into it. The cameras are divided into different functions. One is used to take pictures of the smallest regions of space, detecting their brightness in the distance. This is how scientists attempt to discover new points in space and create a more accurate map of the entire sky.
The other camera is used to photograph planets and obtain more information about them. The last one detects radiation and allows for photography even in darkness because it works using infrared rays. Thanks to renewable energy, this telescope can operate for a long time.
Advantages of the Hubble Space Telescope
Collision between two galaxies
It has two solar panels that generate electricity to recharge the cameras, and four motors used to orient the telescope when needed for photography. Cooling equipment is also necessary to keep the infrared camera and spectrometer operational. These two pieces of equipment need to be kept at -180°C.
Since the telescope was launched, several astronauts have had to go to it to repair certain things and install additional equipment to help improve information gathering. Technology is continually developing and it is necessary to improve the telescope before having to continually create a new one.
Even at a high altitude, atmospheric friction still causes the telescope to slowly lose weight and gain speed. This wear and tear means that whenever astronauts need to repair or upgrade something, they push it into a higher orbit to reduce friction.
The advantage of having a telescope at this height is that they are not affected by meteorological factors such as the presence of clouds, light pollution or fog. By having a telescope beyond the lower layers of the atmosphere, much longer wavelengths can be absorbed and the quality of the images improved compared to ground-based telescopes.
Evolution of the Hubble Space Telescope
Photo of thousands of galaxies
From its inception, the intention was to bring the telescope back to Earth every five years for maintenance and upgrades. However, the risks of bringing it back to Earth and then launching it again were identified . Therefore, the decision was made to send a maintenance mission every three years to allow for ongoing maintenance and improvements as new ideas are proposed and technology advances.
Initially, a manufacturing defect was discovered, necessitating the first maintenance operations. Repairs were crucial to ensure the lens could capture better images. Following this initial maintenance, the defect was successfully corrected and repaired.
To learn from past mistakes, a system was installed to aid in correcting the telescope's optics, as this is the cornerstone of its operation. Thanks to this, incredibly high-quality images can be obtained, allowing us to learn more about the Universe. For example, it was able to photograph the collision of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 with Jupiter in 1994 and has provided evidence of the existence of many other planets orbiting stars like our Sun.
The theory that exists about the expansion of the Universe has been complemented and improved thanks to the information obtained by Hubble. In addition, the fact that all galaxies have a black hole at their core has been confirmed.
Some advances
Thanks to its position, many detailed and remarkably clear photographs of the planets have been obtained. This telescope has confirmed the existence of black holes and clarified some ideas about the Big Bang theory and the birth of the Universe. It has also revealed the existence of numerous galaxies and other systems that had remained hidden deep within the cosmos.
In 1995, the telescope was able to photograph a region about one thirty-millionth the size of the Universe, revealing several thousand galaxies. Later, in 1998, another photograph confirmed that the structure of the Universe is independent of the observer's viewing direction.
As you can see, the Hubble Space Telescope has helped enormously in the discovery of the Universe.
