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What are problems with ground-based telescopes?
However, there are downsides as well. A telescope on the ground has to look through the Earth’s atmosphere to see into space. This is a problem because the atmosphere can blur our images. The air also blocks out light from parts of the electromagnetic spectrum.
What is a problem for telescopes on satellites?
Space telescopes avoid the filtering of ultraviolet frequencies, X-rays and gamma rays; the distortion (scintillation) of electromagnetic radiation; as well as light pollution which ground-based observatories encounter.
What went wrong with the Hubble telescope?
After 31 years in space, the Hubble Space Telescope unexpectedly shut down on June 13 after suffering a problem that initially appeared to be the fault of an aging memory module. But the more NASA personnel tried to fix the issue, the more slippery it became.
How do ground based telescopes work?
When ground-based telescopes view stars, the light they collect must weave its way through layers of air. When those layers are turbulent, the light gets blurred, so images from observatories with large mirrors turn out no better than those from your backyard telescope. Adaptive optics corrects the problem.
Is Hubble telescope stopped working?
NASAs Hubble Space Telescope is still working and has made more than 1.3 million observations since its mission began in 1990. The Hubble telescope was launched on April 24, 1990, via the space shuttle Discovery from Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.
What happened to the Hubble Telescope science instruments?
NASA has returned the science instruments on the Hubble Space Telescope to operational status, and the collection of science data will now resume. This will be the first science data collected since the payload computer experienced a problem on June 13, which placed the instruments in a safe configuration and suspended science operations.
What is NASA doing about the Hubble Space Telescope’s payload computer issue?
NASA is taking additional steps to investigate the Hubble Space Telescope’s payload computer issue that began on June 13, suspending science observations. In parallel with the investigation, NASA is preparing and testing procedures to turn on backup hardware onboard the spacecraft.
How far away can the Hubble Telescope see?
Avoiding distortions of the atmosphere, Hubble has an unobstructed view peering to planets, stars and galaxies, some more than 13.4 billion light years away. NASA has returned the science instruments on the Hubble Space Telescope to operational status, and the collection of science data will now resume.
What is the domain of the Hubble telescope?
Hubble, HST. The Hubble Space Telescope was designed to provide clear and deep views of distant galaxies and stars and most of the planets in our solar system. Hubble’s domain extends from the ultraviolet, through the visible, and to the near-infrared.