The Hubble Space Telescope launched in 1990 has provided valuable information about the cosmos. This unmanned observatory shows amazing wonders of space. Hubble is a reflecting telescope with machinery found on satellites. Solar panels provide power to the Hubble Space Telescope, while radio antennas provide communication signals. Reaction wheels direct the visual display of cameras. Seeing as communication with Hubble is essential, a tracking and data relay satellite is used. It acts as a bridge between ground control and Hubble. The Goddard Space Flight Center has engineers who examine signals and monitor the condition of Hubble. The observation schedule is determined by astronomers at the Space Telescope Science Institute. The light detectors and electronic cameras have allowed for impressive discoveries over the years. The possibility of a massive black hole in the M87 galaxy was observed in 1992. Around 1994 Hubble documented the impact of the comet Shoemaker-Levy 9's on Jupiter. A birth of a star was witnessed in the Eagle Nebula in 1995. Hubble then detected a gamma-ray burst in 1999 considered to be the most powerful explosion observed. The list of observations and discoveries is multitudinous. The Hubble Space Telescope has shown humanity galaxies 10 billion light years away and has opened our eyes to beauty of space.
Further Reading
Couper, Heather and Henbest, Nigel. Space Encyclopedia. New York: DK Publishing, 1999.
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