Hubble Space Telescope: How it Works and What it Discovered

The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is more than just a telescope. Think of it as a giant pair of eyes floating in space that lets us see the universe clearly. Telescopes on Earth often give blurry pictures because of the air around us. That is the reason why Hubble was sent high above the planet, where it can capture amazing, sharp images of stars, galaxies, and even faraway nebulae.

Hubble has shown us some truly incredible things. It helped scientists understand that the universe is expanding, discover black holes, watch stars being born, and even spot galaxies crashing into each other. This article assists you in realising how Hubble works and why it is so important for exploring space.

Table of Contents

• All About the Hubble Space Telescope
• How Does the Hubble Telescope Actually Work
• Amazing Discoveries by Hubble

All About the Hubble Space Telescope

Have you ever thought about how scientists can see galaxies and faraway things so clearly? That’s exactly what the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) does.

You know, most telescopes on Earth can only see visible light, and even then, the atmosphere makes the images a little blurry. 

If that’s the case, think about how Hubble gets those super-sharp pictures? The answer lies in its position. 

It’s in space, way above the atmosphere, which lets it take crystal-clear images of stars, galaxies, and other objects. Till now, it has made over 1.4 million observations and helped track countless stars and galaxies.

But why do all these observations matter?

By collecting light from very distant stars and galaxies, Hubble has helped scientists study how stars are born, discover black holes, and even see moons around planets like Pluto. 

So basically, it lets us see amazing things in space that we cannot see from Earth.

And here’s something really special: Astronauts have gone to service Hubble five times. They repaired and upgraded instruments, which is why it’s still running smoothly after so many years.

Basically, how did it all start? Let’s find out.

The idea of Hubble came in 1970, and it was supposed to launch in 1983, but technical and financial problems delayed it. Finally, it was launched on 24th April 1990 from the John F. Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Now there’s a question: Why did they name it Hubble?

It’s named after Edwin P. Hubble, the astronomer who taught us a lot about galaxies and the expanding universe. 

Hubble is run by NASA, ESA, and the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) and is still going strong today. Scientists expect it to keep working until around 2030–2040.

And here’s something you might find surprising: Hubble is not just one big telescope. It’s composed of several parts, and each one has a specific role in exploring space.

Let’s take a closer look at the main parts:

The primary mirror is at the core of Hubble, and it’s 2.4 meters wide. It collects light from distant stars and galaxies. 

There’s also a secondary mirror that focuses the light onto Hubble’s instruments. Together, these mirrors let Hubble take such detailed pictures.

That said, what about the instruments? Think of Hubble like a small lab in space. Its instruments include:

• Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) and Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) capture clear pictures of stars, galaxies, and nebulae.
• Spectrographs split light into pieces so scientists can study what stars and galaxies are made of.
• Fine Guidance Sensors (FGS) make sure Hubble points exactly where it should and stays steady while observing.

However, Hubble’s instruments have changed over time, and the older instruments included:

• High Speed Photometer
• Faint Object Camera
• Goddard High-Resolution Spectrograph. 

Which has recently been replaced by:

• ACS
• Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS)
• Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS)
• WFC
• FGS
• Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS).

Now that the question comes to, how big and powerful is Hubble? Here’s a quick snapshot to understand its specifications:

Specification	Details
Length	13.2 meters (43.5 feet)
Diameter	14 feet (4.2 meters)
Weight	~11,110 kg (24,500 pounds)
Orbit	About 340 miles (547 km) above Earth
Inclination	28.5° to the equator
Power	Solar-powered

How Does the Hubble Space Telescope Actually Work

So, how does Hubble actually capture these amazing images? Let’s see how it works step by step and what it can see.

1. First, light from a distant object hits Hubble’s primary mirror. Then, this light bounces to the secondary mirror. The secondary mirror sends the light back through a hole in the primary mirror.
2. Next, the light goes into Hubble’s scientific instruments, which record all the data.

This setup allows Hubble Space Telescope images to be seen as far as 13.4 billion light-years away, giving us a glimpse of the universe as it was billions of years ago.

Amazing Discoveries of Hubble

Hubble has completely changed the way we look at space. So what has it actually discovered? Let’s take a look at the amazing discoveries made by the Hubble.

• First, it found moons around Pluto called Hydra and Nix. A telescope so far away being able to spot tiny moons shows just how powerful Hubble is.
• Not only that, Hubble can see beyond what our eyes can. By detecting infrared light, it can peek through clouds of dust and gas that normally hide stars and galaxies. This ability opens up a whole new view of the universe.
• Another major breakthrough is Hubble’s work with black holes. It has confirmed their presence in many galaxies, giving scientists clear evidence that was hard to get from Earth.
• At the same time, Hubble has watched the birth of stars. It observed turbulent clouds of gas and dust slowly forming new stars. In a way, it lets us witness the universe creating itself.
• Hubble has also captured galaxies merging, showing how these massive structures grow and change over time.
• Moreover, it discovered dusty disks and stellar nurseries, regions where new stars are forming. These findings help scientists understand how stars and even solar systems like ours come into existence.
• One of Hubble’s most famous achievements is taking a picture of a black hole, which was thought impossible before. On top of that, Hubble has helped calculate Hubble’s constant, which is key to understanding how fast the universe is expanding.

All in all, Hubble has opened our eyes to incredible things in space. Its discoveries keep guiding astronomers and scientists, and its legacy will continue to inspire generations for many years to come.