The Hubble Telescope – Photographing Worlds Beyond
December 19, 2023
Telescopes have been used for centuries to explore the vast and dark night sky, allowing us to see faraway objects like stars and planets. The first telescopes used lenses, curved clear pieces of glass, to focus light from stars into an image our eyes can see. Nowadays, most telescopes are built with curved mirrors, which are lighter and easier to make.
However, Earth’s natural and man-made elements, such as rain clouds, lights, and the Earth’s atmosphere, interfere with seeing into space. In the 1920s, scientists began discussing the possibility of launching a telescope into space. After decades of research, fixing problems, and getting enough money, the Hubble Telescope was launched into space on April 24, 1990. The telescope has been used daily to observe our universe and take photographs, uncovering many secrets of the universe.
One photograph from 1995 showed a part of the sky that looks empty to our eyes but actually contained more than 3,000 galaxies. A galaxy is a massive collection of gas, dust, billions of stars, and planets held together by gravity. The Milky Way galaxy, shaped like a massive flat spiral, is home to our Solar System and the Sun, one of its many bright stars.
The “Pillars of Creation” capture colourful gaseous blobs from which new stars are being born, something we would never be able to see with our naked eye. With advancements in technology, we can continue to study, share, and admire the wonders of the universe.
Vocabulary
potential – possibility or promise
- You have the potential to reach the top of your profession.
telescope – a cylinder-shaped device to make objects look closer and larger
- With a good telescope, you can see craters on the moon.
interfere – Something or someone that spoils a situation or prevents its progress.
- Even a little noise interferes with my concentration.
astronomy – the scientific study of the universe and of objects that exist naturally in space.
- My brother is interested in astronomy so he bought a small telescope.
iconic – widely known and recognised
- Leonardo da Vinci is known for his iconic paintings and scientific drawings.