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How is Salt telescope used?
The SALT telescope collects light from astronomical objects and accurately focuses it onto the telescope focal plane. From there the light proceeds into an optical instrument while the telescope tracks the relative movement of the object across the sky to maximise exposure time.
What makes the Hubble Space Telescope unique?
It is a very special telescope which orbits far above the Earth. Hubble allows us to see objects more clearly because it is above the clouds in Earth’s atmosphere. Hubble is not only a powerful telescope, but it also carries cameras which allow scientists on Earth to see objects billions of light-years away.
Will the Webb telescope be better than Hubble?
The telescope’s primary mirror, 6.5 meters (21 feet) across, is made of 18 hexagonal gold-plated beryllium segments, resulting in a telescope 100 times more powerful than the 2.4-meter Hubble. “Webb will be transformative for astronomical research, just as Hubble has been,” says Heidi Hammel (NASA/GSFC).
Why is the SALT telescope located in Sutherland?
The reason the Southern African Large Telescope (SALT) was erected outside the town of Sutherland, some 370km from Cape Town, is because of its ideal location for stargazing. One of the first light images taken by SALT was of 47 Tucanae, an ancient cluster of several million stars about 15 000 light-years from earth.
Who owns the SALT telescope?
Rutgers University is a partner in the Southern African Large Telescope consortium, SALT, a group of countries and universities that have jointly constructed a 10-meter optical telescope optimized for spectroscopic work that closely resembles the Hobby-Eberly Telescope (HET) at McDonald Observatory in west Texas.
What does NASA know about the Hubble telescope?
This article is part of the NASA Knows (Grades 5-8) series. The Hubble Space Telescope is a large telescope in space. It was launched into orbit by space shuttle Discovery on April 24, 1990. Hubble orbits about 547 kilometers (340 miles) above Earth.
Will the Hubble telescope ever be repaired or upgraded?
The telescope will not be repaired or upgraded again, but it is still working. Meanwhile, NASA and its international partners are preparing the James Webb Space Telescope. The Webb is an infrared telescope that will be larger than Hubble and will be able to see through clouds and dust in space.
What is the difference between Herschel and Webb Space Telescope?
The primary difference between Webb and Herschel is wavelength range: Webb goes from 0.6 to 28.5 microns; Herschel went from 60 to 500 microns. Webb is also larger, with an approximately 6.5 meter mirror vs. Herschel’s 3.5 meters.
What is the James Webb Space Telescope?
The James Webb Space Telescope is planned to be launched by NASA in Spring 2019. It has often been referred to as the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, launched in 1990, aiming to “complement and extend” its predecessor’s discoveries.