Hubble Space Telescope: Revolutionizing Astronomy

Launched in 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope has provided unprecedented views of the universe, helping to determine the age of the universe, discover Pluto's moons, and detect exoplanet atmospheres.

The top 3

1. Hubble's Top 3 Cosmic Revelations: Hubble fundamentally reshaped cosmology by precisely measuring the universe's expansion rate and age, delivering iconic Deep Field images of early galaxies, and providing definitive evidence for supermassive black holes at galactic centers.
2. The Historic Mirror Flaw & Daring Repair: Hubble launched with a critical primary mirror flaw, ground 2.2 microns too flat, causing blurry images. Astronauts fixed it during the STS-61 servicing mission in December 1993 by installing COSTAR corrective optics and WFPC2.
3. How Hubble Paved Way for JWST: Hubble's visible and UV observations complement JWST's infrared focus, allowing combined, comprehensive views of the universe. Its discoveries, like deep field galaxies, pushed the need for infrared telescopes to observe more distant, redshifted objects.

Sources

• What has the Hubble Space Telescope discovered? | Royal Museums Greenwich
• Hubble Science Highlights
• used his homemade telescope 400 years ago to view mountains on the Moon, satellites circling Jupiter, and a myriad of stars in o - STScI

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