Changes

==History==

==History==

After launch, it was found that all of the images from the telescope were out of focus.  An investigation found that the primary mirror of the telescope had been ground to the wrong radius, preventing the telescope from properly focusing.  In December, 1993, the [[Space_shuttle|Space Shuttle]] Endeavor, during mission STS-61, captured the telescope and added a lens that corrected the defect in the primary mirror.  Since then, the Hubble Space Telescope has been an invaluable tool to [[astronomy|astronomers]].

After launch, it was found that all of the images from the telescope were out of focus.  An investigation found that the primary mirror of the telescope had been ground to the wrong radius, preventing the telescope from properly focusing.  In December, 1993, the [[Space shuttle|Space Shuttle]] Endeavor, during mission STS-61, captured the telescope and added a lens that corrected the defect in the primary mirror.  Since then, the Hubble Space Telescope has been an invaluable tool to [[astronomy|astronomers]].

Hubble has a resolution of just less than 0.1 arcsec in red light.<ref> One arcsec is 1/3600 of a degree.</ref> Its main imaging camera has 16 million pixels.

Hubble has a resolution of just less than 0.1 arcsec in red light.<ref>One arcsec is 1/3600 of a degree.</ref> Its main imaging camera has 16 million pixels.

The current mission of the telescope was recently extended by NASA.  On January 17, 2004, primarily due to the recent [[Colombia]] shuttle accident and the perceived risk of shuttle flights, NASA announced that the final servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope would not be funded.  Scientists around the world and members of congress put pressure on NASA to reconsider, and on October 31, 2006, NASA announced it would go ahead with a Hubble Space Telescope service mission in 2008.  This fourth mission to Hubble cost $1 billion and should effectively extend the life of the telescope by another decade.  

The current mission of the telescope was recently extended by NASA.  On January 17, 2004, primarily due to the recent [[Colombia]] shuttle accident and the perceived risk of shuttle flights, NASA announced that the final servicing mission to the Hubble Space Telescope would not be funded.  Scientists around the world and members of congress put pressure on NASA to reconsider, and on October 31, 2006, NASA announced it would go ahead with a Hubble Space Telescope service mission in 2008.  This fourth mission to Hubble cost $1 billion and should effectively extend the life of the telescope by another decade.  

The telescope is named after astronomer [[Edwin Hubble]] whose observations of galaxies led him to the discovery that the universe is expanding.

The telescope is named after astronomer [[Edwin Hubble]] whose observations of galaxies led him to the discovery that the universe is expanding.

The total cost of Hubble to NASA so far has been about $9 billion.<ref> Dennis Overbye, [http://www.astromart.com/news/news.asp?news_id=746 "One Last Ride to the Hubble," ''New York Times'' Dec 4, 2007]</ref>

The total cost of Hubble to NASA so far has been about $9 billion.<ref>Dennis Overbye, [http://www.astromart.com/news/news.asp?news_id=746 "One Last Ride to the Hubble," ''New York Times'' Dec 4, 2007]</ref>

The Hubble has a 94-inch mirror. Earth-based telescopes with three times the diameter cost only 2% as much, but are affected by distortions caused by the atmosphere.  Astronomers hope that new methods of adaptive optics will improve the resolution of earth-based telescopes, because funding on the scale of Hubble is difficult to achieve.   

The Hubble has a 94-inch mirror. Earth-based telescopes with three times the diameter cost only 2% as much, but are affected by distortions caused by the atmosphere.  Astronomers hope that new methods of adaptive optics will improve the resolution of earth-based telescopes, because funding on the scale of Hubble is difficult to achieve.   

Hubble's successor will be the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is a large, infrared-optimized space telescope, scheduled for launch in 2014. Its mirror will be 6.5 meters.<ref> See [http://www.jwst.nasa.gov/ The James Webb Space Telescope]</ref>

Hubble's successor will be the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is a large, infrared-optimized space telescope, scheduled for launch in 2014. Its mirror will be 6.5 meters.<ref>See [http://www.jwst.nasa.gov/ The James Webb Space Telescope]</ref>

== Photography ==

== Photography ==

</gallery>

</gallery>

==Also See==

==See also==

[[NASA]]

[[NASA]]

==External Links==

==External links==

*[http://hubblesite.org/ HubbleSite]

*[http://hubblesite.org/ HubbleSite]

*[http://www.aerospaceguide.net/spacehistory/hubble-history.html Hubble Space Telescope History]

*[http://www.aerospaceguide.net/spacehistory/hubble-history.html Hubble Space Telescope History]

*[http://www.mindspring.com/~deline/ Jim's Hubble Telescope Photo Gallery]

*[http://www.mindspring.com/~deline/ Jim's Hubble Telescope Photo Gallery]

* Dennis Overbye, [http://www.astromart.com/news/news.asp?news_id=746 "One Last Ride to the Hubble," ''New York Times'' Dec 4, 2007]

* Dennis Overbye, [http://www.astromart.com/news/news.asp?news_id=746 "One Last Ride to the Hubble," ''New York Times'' Dec 4, 2007]

====references====

====References====

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[[category:astronomy]]

[[Category:Astronomy]]