The Hubble Space Telescope: A Window to Space. A six page scientific essay entireley about the Hubble Space Telescope. Includes citations from a variety of sources and Bibliography.

Gruszka 1

The Hubble Space Telescope: A Window to Space

Ever since Galileo used his homemade telescope to make the first scientific observations of astronomical objects, scientists have used telescopes to explore the universe beyond the naked eye; the Hubble Space Telescope is a magnificent example of a modern day telescope capable of transmitting varied and extensive data of the far corners of the universe. Hubble is the first of its kind to explore the vastness of space. Its size, parts, power and speed are all parts of Hubble's amazing mission of transmitting data and making discoveries. The Hubble Space Telescope is one of the most amazing inventions of modern time and contributes to millions of scientific discoveries each day.

The Hubble Space Telescope was named after an American astronomer, Edwin P. Hubble. The United States Congress authorized the construction of the telescope in 1977. The telescope was then built under the supervision of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). It was launched on April 24, 1990 and placed into orbit by the crew of the space shuttle Discovery. The telescope's first image was transmitted on May 20, 1990. It was of the star cluster NGC 3532.

Though it may be hard to imagine, the Hubble Space Telescope is "the size of a large school bus ("Quick Facts")." It has a length of 43.5 feet; it weighs 24,500 pounds, and its maximum diameter is 14 feet. The cost of making the telescope was also large; the total cost amounted to 2.2 billion dollars. Accordingly, what the Hubble Space Telescope has given back has been well worth the cost. Each day the "telescope transmits enough data to fill 10,000 standard computer disks, which is equivalent to five encyclopedias ("Quick Facts")."

The Hubble Space Telescope has many parts that all contribute...