Forum Views ()
Forum Replies ()
Read more with google mobile :
Revolutionary Hubble space telescope turns 20
Yahoo!
My Yahoo!
Mail
More Yahoo! Services
Account Options
New User? Sign Up
Sign In
Help
Yahoo! Search
web search
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Top Stories
Most Popular
Photos
Sitemap
Revolutionary Hubble space telescope turns 20
AFP - 2 hours 50 minutes ago
Send
IM Story
Print
File photo of the Hubble Space Telescope as it was deployed from the Space Shuttle Discovery in April 1993. Astronomers around the world this weekend mark the 20th anniversary of the launching of the iconic Hubble, NASA's first orbiting space telescope that has revolutionized human understanding of the universe.
WASHINGTON (AFP) - – Astronomers around the world this weekend mark the 20th anniversary of the launching of the iconic Hubble, NASA's first orbiting space telescope that has revolutionized human understanding of the universe.
More than any other instrument, the Hubble has stimulated a modern-day infatuation with deep space, beaming to Earth the most spectacular images ever taken of faraway galaxies and the births and deaths of stars -- and along the way helping scientists make some of the most important discoveries of our time.
Hubble was launched aboard space shuttle Discovery on April 24, 1990 and deployed into orbit the following day.
Piloting the shuttle on that historic mission was astronaut Charles Bolden, who went on to become the US space agency's administrator last year.
In the two decades since, Hubble has enabled astronomers to peer through the celestial curtain to set the age of the universe at 13.7 billion years old.
"Hubble is undoubtedly one of the most recognized and successful scientific projects in history," said Ed Weiler, associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate.
From its unique perch some 570 kilometers (353 miles) above Earth, the telescope is our eye on the cosmos, snapping pictures of more than 30,000 celestial objects, some of them located on the far ends of the universe.
The quality of Hubble images is 10 times clearer than pictures from the most powerful ground-based telescopes, because it is beyond the Earth's atmosphere, which distorts the view of ground telescopes.
"It's that extreme clarity that gives us the feeling we've traveled out into space to see these objects," said Jon Grunsfeld, an astronaut who did repair work on Hubble during two shuttle missions.
"It really is our time machine."
Although Hubble is universally acknowledged today as a scientific gem, it had a rocky start: once it was deployed scientists quickly discovered that the telescope's main mirror had a slight blemish, and a shuttle mission had to be sent up to install a new mirror.
When it became fully operational in late 1993 the Hubble began transmitting pictures that stunned the world.
One of Hubble's best known images is of the vast Carina Nebula, an interstellar cloud of dust, hydrogen gas, helium gas and plasma that lies some 6,500 light years away from Earth. Each light year is about 9.5 trillion kilometers, or 5.9 trillion miles.
The Hubble also photographed supernovas, gigantic explosions that mark the death of a star.
It revealed the existence of black holes at the center of practically all galaxies. Until then scientists only suspected the existence of black holes.
Thanks to data collected by the Hubble, astronomers have learned that the universe is expanding at an accelerating rate.
This acceleration is caused by a mysterious force called dark energy, which makes up nearly 75 percent of the universe and balances the force of gravity.
Around five percent of the cosmos is made up of visible matter, while 20 percent of it is so-called dark matter.
Other discoveries credited to Hubble include the detection of the first organic molecule in the atmosphere of a planet orbiting a distant star.
It also observed small forming galaxies that emitted rays of light when the universe was less than a billion years old.
In the Earth's solar system, Hubble has observed radical changes in the direction of the winds on Saturn, and shown that Neptune has seasons.
The Hubble, the result of collaboration between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the European Space Agency (ESA), measures 13.2 meters (43.5 feet) long, has a maximum diameter of 4.2 meters and weighs 11,110 kilos (24,500 pounds).
A 2009 mission of shuttle Atlantis gave Hubble an extreme makeover, fitting it with a new, more powerful camera and spectrograph, sprucing up its scientific instruments, and extending Hubble's life for at least five years.
"The new and improved Hubble will continue to have a positive impact on the world for decades with many of its greatest discoveries yet to come," said Weiler, who described it as "an icon in the American psyche."
But the mission was bittersweet, as the repair job marked the end of NASA's human missions to the beloved Hubble.
Its successor is the James Webb Space Telescope, an infrared optimized space observatory scheduled to be deployed in 2014.
Recommend
Send
IM Story
Print
News Search
Top Stories
Revolutionary Hubble space telescope turns 20
Pressure mounts for swift Greek bailout
Luxury Mumbai attacks hotel reopens
Emails show Goldman Sachs bet on housing market decline
Furor over French Muslim woman fined for driving veiled
More Top Stories »
ADVERTISEMENT
Most Popular
Most Viewed
Most Recommended
Ex-Bin Laden bodyguard writes against Qaeda
Furor over French Muslim woman fined for driving veiled
Luxury Mumbai attacks hotel reopens
Emails show Goldman Sachs bet on housing market decline
Greece pleads for debt aid, Germany sets conditions
More Most Viewed »
Apple engineer loses iPhone prototype
Two-million-year-old hominid sheds light on evolution
Taiwan's male 'Susan Boyle' a web sensation
Furor over French Muslim woman fined for driving veiled
Airlines want compensation as Europe's skies reopen
More Most Recommended »
Elsewhere on Yahoo!
Financial news on Yahoo! Finance
Stars and latest movies
Best travel destinations
More on Yahoo! News
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Subscribe to our news feeds
Top StoriesMy Yahoo!RSS
» More news feeds | What are news feeds?
Also on Yahoo
Answers
Groups
Mail
Messenger
Mobile
Travel
Finance
Movies
Sports
Games
» All Yahoo! Services
Site Highlights
Singapore
Full Coverage
Most Popular
Asia Entertainment
Photos
World Cup 2010
Copyright © 2010 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte. Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Service |
Privacy Policy |
Community |
Intellectual Property Rights Policy |
Help
Other News on Sunday, 25 April 2010 Sudan poll count shortcut raises fraud fears
Ex-Nazi corporal Schaefer dies in Chile prison
MediaBugs, new website for reporting media errors
Spain protests against Franco-era immunity
|
Iran Guards dismiss sanctions drive as "ridiculous"
Two German hostages freed in Nigeria: German FM
US-TECH Summary
Britain's richest see their fortunes soar
|
Iran hits at "impudent" UAE comment in Gulf dispute
Emails show Goldman Sachs bet on housing market decline
Multiplatform app stores reach beyond smart phones
British PM ups tempo with 'Elvis' in election fight
Anti-U.S. cleric offers Iraq government help after attacks
NATO's cyber-brains gaze at the future of war
U.S. drone attack kills seven in Pakistan
|
Russia says Polish plane crash probe to build ties
|
Utah Inmate Prefers Execution By Firing Squad
Top Brass From CIA, FBI Reflect On Challenges
U.S. Signs Science, Technology Agreement With Serbia
Sudan poll count shortcut raises fraud fears
|
U.S. To Iran: Release American Hikers
Arizona Law Gets Rap As Obama Defines U.S. As Nation Of Immigrants, Laws
Armenians mark WWI killings, ties with neighbors fray
|
Mom Seeks Closure Of Topless Bar That Hired Her Underage Daughter
Bombs, missiles, bullets leave 29 dead in Pakistan
Obama Reiterates Wall Street Reform, Promises Stronger Economy
Dumped body sparks riot in central Nigeria, 5 dead
|
Japan PM rules out 2006 deal on US base on eve of rally
'Ten police injured' in Pakistan suicide strike
Officials: 25 militants killed in NW Pakistan
Arizona illegals law sparks fury, Obama criticism
Officials: US strike kills 3 militants in Pakistan
Utah inmate chooses execution by firing squad
Hong Kong overpower South Korea in Five Nations
Suicide attack killed American soldier, US says
Rodionova and Stosur give Australia commanding lead
Thai protesters pull out of talks with government
Violent protests shake Indian Kashmir
China aware of need to let yuan rise: IMF
Bangladesh lifts ban on Indian films
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary
Despite scary reviews, "Addams Family" lures label
YouTube fame yields record deal for R&B rookie
Deftones return after bassist sidelined by injury
Indie rockers the National confront hype, stardom
Multiplatform app stores reach beyond smart phones
|
YouTube at age five a growing player in online films
LCD Soundsystem raises glass to "Drunk Girls"
Gospel singer Clark-Sheard on road with new album
U.K. Restores, Replants Ancient Orchards
Amnesty International Condemns Torture Of 17 Indians In UAE
Utah Inmate Prefers Execution By Firing Squad
Mom Seeks Closure Of Topless Bar That Hired Her Underage Daughter
Despite scary reviews, Addams Family lures label
|
Deftones return after bassist sidelined by injury
|
YouTube fame yields record deal for R&B rookie
|
Indie rockers the National confront hype, stardom
|
Qaeda confirms deaths of leaders in Iraq-statement
Thousands rally for Spanish judge Garzon
Armenians mark WWI killings, ties with neighbours fray
Japan firms to standardize mobile software: report
British PM ups tempo with 'Elvis' in election fight
Anti-U.S. cleric offers Iraq government help after bombings
Ethiopia explosion kills at least five
|
Canada privacy chief criticizes new Facebook changes
Revolutionary Hubble space telescope turns 20
South Korea raises warship, finds clues on sinking
|
At Least 7 Dead, Up To 2 Dozen Dead As Tornadoes Track Through Mississippi
Pressure mounts for swift Greek bailout
Butcher of Beijing's son to get promotion: sources
|
U.S. Assistant Secretary Blake Sets Visits To Nepal, Bhutan, China
Luxury Mumbai attacks hotel reopens
Phone tapping row likely to rock India parliament
|
Hungary centre-right set for historic election win
|
Bangkok braces for unrest after peace plan rejected
|
Sandstorm, snow close air link to China quake zone
|
Qaeda confirms deaths of leaders in Iraq: statement
|
"Butcher of Beijing's" son to get promotion
Abbas to meet Obama in May: Palestinian official
Thai protesters vow to hold key Bangkok sites
Body near NJ river may be baby thrown from bridge
Three dead as sandstorms blanket northwest China
Arizona law raises fears of racial profiling
Long-hated one-child rule may be eased in China
10 killed as tornado strikes Miss.; others injured
Thai PM vows to retake Bangkok protest site
Officials: Army kills 9 insurgents in NW Pakistan
Tornadoes kill 10, destroys homes in southern US
New Zealand Anzac Day memorial marred by crash
Israel lifts ban on imports of Apple iPad
|
China's influence grows in global auto market
S.Korea NPS to buy Berlin Sony Center for $767 mln
Japan firms to standardize mobile software: report
|
Torpedo 'one of most likely' causes for sunk S.Korea ship
Suicide attack kills 3 in southeastern Afghanistan
Japanese island set for mass rally against US bases
Bare bottoms, zebras: the art of Sarkozy senior
Fortunes of UK's super-rich rise by a third: list
Topalov takes lead against world chess champ Anand
Tribeca film explores al Qaeda's history and culture
Surfing gets South Africa's homeless kids off Durban's streets
Seville's annual fair in full swing
Tribeca film explores al Qaeda's history and culture
|
Iran, IAEA meet on nuclear deal
Iran meets IAEA head, no fuel deal advance
|
Iran meets IAEA head, no fuel deal advance
Israel lifts ban on imports of Apple iPad
UK's LibDems say won't back a 3rd place Labour
|
Emerging countries to demand bigger say at World Bank
Afghan suicide attack kills four: officials
Iran Guards test missiles, warn enemies
|
U.S. envoy wraps up Mideast visit, back next week
Malaysian government scrapes by in by-election win
|
North-south Sudan clashes kill 58, injure 85
1,000 Barrels Of Oil Per Day Reported Leaking From Sunken Rig Site
Iran Guards test missiles, warn enemies
North-south Sudan clashes kill 58, injure 85
|
Al-Qaeda in Iraq confirms deaths of top two commanders
Yemen says opposition allied with armed foes of state
|
Afghan demonstration turns violent: official
Three dead in Afghan suicide blast: official
Southeast Braces For Bad Weather After Twisters Kill 10 In Mississippi
Hamas hopes cartoon will press Israel on prisoners
|
Liberia weighing trials for war crimes: minister
|
Thousands of people lose homes in Manila slum fire
Emirates flight drops suddenly over India; 20 hurt
80 Afghan schoolgirls sick in week; poison feared
Iran Holds Massive Naval War Games In Persian Gulf
India's Catholic bishops consider new abuse rules
Civil marriage not civil war, say secular Lebanese
|
Pakistan wants India to hand over Mumbai suspects
Obama: Miners died in pursuit of American dream
Thai "red shirts" vow to intensify campaign
Thai protesters vow to hold key Bangkok sites
US Coast Guard: oil leaking from sunken rig
SKorean minister: Torpedo likely sank warship
Taiwan president and opposition debate China deal
Al Baraka, Emirates Global Islamic merge Pakistan ops
US Senate panels releases Goldman Sachs emails
In Jerusalem, footballs go where people cannot
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights