Bring out the bubbly!
Our Hubble Space Telescope is celebrating 25
years of science this April. Here’s why you should be in love with
Hubble, if you weren’t already.
1. It knows how to impress.
NASA, ESA, and the Hubble SM4 ERO Team / Via hubblesite.org
Its jaw-dropping pictures blew our minds and transformed our understanding of the universe forever.
NASA, ESA, N. Smith (University of California, Berkeley), Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA) / Via hubblesite.org
Mind. Blown.
2. Like fine wine, Hubble got better with age.
NASA, ESA, STScI, J. Hester and P. Scowen (Arizona State University) / Via hubblesite.org
After the space telescope’s last
servicing mission, it’s better than ever. Compare before and after
pictures of the Eagle Nebula after its cameras were upgraded.
Above: Taken using Hubble’s Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2 (WFPC2), installed in 2002.Below: Hubble’s Wide Field Camera 3 replaced WFPC2 in 2009.
NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA) / Via hubblesite.org
3. It’s like us, only better.
ESA, NASA and P. Anders (Göttingen University Galaxy Evolution Group, Germany) / Via hubblesite.org
Hubble can see the same visible light
as we do, but from distant and fainter objects, making it like an
extension of ourselves. It’s like the Superman of telescopes.
4. It’s a total geek.
NASA, ESA, HEIC, and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA) / Via hubblesite.org
Its images have inspired content for video games, movies, music, etc. Hubble’s the original classic.
5. Everything it does revolves around us.
NASA/ESA / Via hubblesite.org
It spins around our little blue planet ever-so-faithfully at 17,500 mph.
6. It’s well-travelled.
NASA / Via nasa.gov
Since its launch, Hubble has
travelled more than 3 billion miles around the world. The best part is,
we’re expecting it to keep going strong until at least 2020.
7. It’s got huge amounts of data.
NASA, ESA, M. Robberto (Space Telescope Science Institute/ESA) and the Hubble Space Telescope Orion Treasury Project Team / Via hubblesite.org
Hubble generates about 10 Terabytes, or 1000 Gigabytes of new data per year.
8. It’s a high achiever.
NASA/STScI / Via hubblesite.org
Within 4 years of launching, Hubble’s data helped confirm the existence of black holes. Most toddlers that age can’t even tie their own shoelaces.
9. It’s got an eye on the prize.
NASA, ESA, E. Jullo (Jet Propulsion Laboratory), P. Natarajan (Yale University), and J.-P. Kneib (Laboratoire d’Astrophysique de Marseille, CNRS, France) / Via hubblesite.org
Hubble’s observations of a special supernovae helped dark energy researchers win the 2011 Nobel Prize in Physics.
10. It’s one of the popular kids on the block.
NASA, ESA, and J. Garvin (NASA/GSFC) / Via hubblesite.org
Thousands of scientists apply for precious observing time using Hubble every year.
11. Hubble’s a hard worker.
NASA, ESA, and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA) / Via hubblesite.org
It’s made more than 1 million
observations since its mission began in 1990. Astronomers have used
Hubble’s data to publish more than 12,000 scientific papers.
12. It inspires the best in us.
NASA / Via mix.msfc.nasa.gov
Teams of brave men and women have
risked their lives going to space just to make sure Hubble’s vision is
20/20 and in the best shape it can be.
13. Hubble’s all about making us smarter.
Via youtube.com
In fact, STEM education materials
involving Hubble are used in all 50 States and integrated into programs
of more than half of US state departments of education.
14. It’s got cool friends.
NASA/JPL-Caltech/O. Krause (Steward Observatory) / Via spitzer.caltech.edu
Hubble buddies up with other NASA Great Observatories like the Chandra X-ray Observatory and the Spitzer Space Telescope to help unravel the secrets of our solar system and beyond.
Behold, the power of teamwork!
NASA, ESA, T. Megeath (University of Toledo) and M. Robberto (STScI) / Via hubblesite.org
NASA, ESA, CXC, and JPL-Caltech / Via hubblesite.org
Hubble’s got friends on the ground too! Check out this composite of ALMA and Hubble observations:
ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO), NASA/ESA / Via almaobservatory.org
And in 2018…
Via youtube.com
In 2018, Hubble’s successor, the James Webb Space Telescope, will look even further into space than ever before!
NASA
So if you’re feeling the love, join in the celebration with #Hubble25, and visit http://www.nasa.gov/hubble!
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