On April 24, 1990, the telescope was launched into space. Hubble a partnership made between NASA (United States Space Agency) and the ESA (European Space Agency) in order to better understand the Universe .
The instrument is located 515 kilometers from Earth, in an orbit considered low, and has already recorded more than a million observations for three decades. The images obtained by the telescope have already generated more than 21 thousand studies and 1.2 million publications make reference to these first ones.
Hubble was placed in orbit to overcome the difficulties encountered in observing space directly from the surface of our planet. The Earth blocks some wavelengths — which is good, as it blocks radiation that is dangerous to life — and its atmosphere is made up of pockets of moving air that blur photos captured by ground stations. Furthermore, pollution also hinders this type of visualization.
In its location, the telescope avoids these interferences and is able to generate images with more details and faithful to reality. To date, it has helped scientists determine the atmospheric composition of planets, discover more about dark energy and understand the Universe as a whole .
What are the advantages of Hubble?
This telescope can capture different wavelengths, which allows it to obtain an abundance of details of galaxies, nebulae and other cosmic objects. Its lenses have a high angular resolution, being able to distinguish two objects that are very close, for example.
According to NASA, “if your eyes had the resolution of Hubble, you could read the date on a coin from two kilometers away.”
Because its location is lower compared to satellites — which are on average 36,000 kilometers from Earth — its maintenance is easier, allowing it to be up there for so long and increasing its useful life.
Hubble has in its structure several tools that allow a better understanding of the Universe, such as: cameras ; spectrometers , which measure the light emitted by bodies, revealing details such as chemical composition and temperature; It is interferometers used to direct the telescope, but also used to measure the positions and brightness of stars.
What has the telescope already done?
In addition to capturing beautiful images that are released almost every day, Hubble studies the acceleration rate of the Universe and discovered that the further a galaxy is from us, the faster it appears to be moving away.
It also enabled the discovery of enormous black holes, recorded the birth of stars, the growth of galaxies and revealed details of some of the mysteries surrounding the death of stars.
Given how easy it is to maintain and update, Hubble should continue to generate information about our space for many decades to come.
Source: CNN Brasil
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