Table of Contents
- 1 Why does the Hubble telescope need to be above the atmosphere?
- 2 Why is the Hubble Space Telescope insulated?
- 3 Does the Hubble telescope have a lens?
- 4 How do the blankets protect Hubble?
- 5 What is the purpose of the lid on the Hubble telescope?
- 6 When does the door close on the Hubble Space Telescope?
- 7 Why can’t we see everything in space with telescopes?
Why does the Hubble telescope need to be above the atmosphere?
Though Hubble’s mirror is much smaller than those found in the largest ground-based observatories, the telescope’s unique position above Earth’s atmosphere gives it incredible clarity. As the telescope orbits Earth, its mirror gathers light from the cosmos, collecting images and data.
Why is the Hubble Space Telescope insulated?
This multi-layer insulation protects the observatory from the severe and rapid temperature changes it experiences as it moves through its 97-minute orbit from very hot sun to very cold night. The damaged insulation on Bay 8 is scheduled to be replaced during SM4.
What is the aperture of the Hubble telescope?
A 2.4 meter (7.9 ft) aperture telescope in low Earth orbit, Hubble’s four main instruments observe in the near ultraviolet, visible, and near infrared. The telescope is named after the astronomer Edwin Hubble.
Does the Hubble telescope have a lens?
How do you protect and clean the lens of the Hubble Space Telescope? Hubble doesn’t have a lens. Like all large telescopes, Hubble uses a curved mirror to focus starlight. This mirror is located deep inside the telescope, protected by its long tube-like structure.
How do the blankets protect Hubble?
The New Outer Blanket Layer, or NOBL, protects Hubble’s external blankets. They prevent further degradation of the insulation and maintain normal operating temperatures for Hubble’s electronic equipment.
Who made the lenses on the Hubble?
Perkin-Elmer Corp.
In 1977, NASA selected Perkin-Elmer Corp. as prime contractor for Hubble’s optical telescope assembly and fine guidance sensors. The firm brought four decades of know-how in building telescopes and optics for observatories and photoreconnaissance satellites.
What is the purpose of the lid on the Hubble telescope?
What is the lid on the Hubble Space Telescope for? The aperture door is used to protect the telescope during launch and service operations, and to prevent the sun from shining down the telescope barrel. Here, the HST is being released from shuttle Discovery.
When does the door close on the Hubble Space Telescope?
The door closes automatically if the HST is pointed to within 20 degrees of the Sun’s direction. The telescope does not generally observe targets within 50 degrees of the Sun, 15.5 degrees of any illuminated portion of the Earth, 7.6 degrees of the dark limb of the Earth, nor 9 degrees of the Moon.
What is the history of the Hubble telescope?
In Depth: Hubble Space Telescope. The Hubble Space Telescope’s launch and deployment in April 1990 marked the most significant advancement in astronomy since Galileo’s telescope. The first major optical telescope to be placed in space, Hubble operates from the ultimate mountaintop.
Why can’t we see everything in space with telescopes?
Second, the atmosphere absorbs some of the light—especially toward the UV end of the spectrum, and so distorts and makes impossible certain observations. Third, ground based telescopes are stuck at one spot. Hubble can observe almost the entire sky. Of these three reasons, the first is the biggie.