|
The Hubble Telescope
Today
The 20th century astronomer Edwin Powell Hubble was inspired in his career choice after reading science fiction stories. He made numerous contributions to our knowledge about the universe, but his most significant contribution was his discovery that the universe is expanding. This observation, known as Hubble's law is the basis of the Big Bang theory.
Astronomers are no longer limited to earth-based observations but can use satellites like the Hubble Space Telescope. The Hubble orbits 380 miles above the Earth where it can view stars without having to look through Earth's blurring atmosphere. The Hubble requires hundreds of earthbound scientists, engineers and programmers to maintain it and process the images it transmits.
Photograph of:
Spiral Galaxy taken from the Hubble Telescope on May 25, 1999. This image was created with support to Space Telescope Science Institute, operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc. and is reproduced with permission from AURA/STSci.
|
