On This Day In History: Hubble Space Telescope Was Launched – On April 24, 1990
AncientPages.com - On April 24, 1990, the Space Shuttle Discovery lifted off from Earth, from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, with the Hubble Space Telescope.
This image of the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope was taken on 3 March 2002 during a servicing mission from the US Space Shuttle. Credit: NASA, ESA, HST
The following day, Hubble was released into space and began its great job of reshaping our perception of space. Today, Hubble provides views of cosmic wonders never before seen and is at the forefront of many discoveries.
Hubble has traveled more than 3 billion miles along a circular low Earth orbit currently about 340 miles in altitude.
The Hubble Space Telescope took decades of planning and research before it launched on April 24, 1990. Initially conceived in the 1940s, it was called the Large Space Telescope. Since its launch, Hubble has overcome its troubled beginnings by performing innumerable scientific observations that have revolutionized humanity's understanding of the universe. From determining the universe's age to observing dramatic changes in celestial bodies in our solar system, Hubble has become one of humanity's most powerful scientific instruments.
Hubble has made more than 1.2 million observations since its mission began in 1990, but the telescope does not travel to stars, planets, or galaxies. It takes pictures of them as it whirls around Earth at about 17,000 mph.
Hubble has traveled more than 3 billion miles along a circular low Earth orbit, currently about 340 miles in altitude.
Hubble is 13.3 meters (43.5 feet) long -- the length of a large school bus has no thrusters and turns at about the speed of a minute hand on a clock, taking 15 minutes to turn 90 degrees.
Hubble has peered back into the distant past to locations more than 13.4 billion light-years from Earth. Its primary mirror is 2.4 meters (7 feet, 10.5 inches) across. According to NASA, outside the haze of our atmosphere, Hubble can see astronomical objects with an angular size of 0.05 arc seconds, which is like seeing a pair of fireflies in Tokyo from your home in Maryland.
AncientPages.com
More From Ancient Pages
-
Five Ancient Mirror Frames, Ceramics Factory Found In Intriguing Roman Villa In Pavlikeni, Bulgaria
-
Evolution Puzzle – Broken Hill Skull And Homo Heidelbergensis Cast Doubt Over Modern Human Ancestry
-
Ancient Mysteries Of Wisconsin – Great Forgotten Prehistoric Events Shed New Light On History Of North America
-
Gundestrup Cauldron: Great Gilded Silver Vessel Decorated With Scenes Derived From Celtic Mythology
-
Riddle Of The Shining Sphere And Its Unknown Properties – Why Did It ‘Vanish’?
-
10 Great Ancient Mysteries Of North America
-
On This Day In History: “Man In The Iron Mask” Died In The Bastille, Paris, France – On Nov 19, 1703
-
What Happened To The Ancient Tribe That Entered A Secret Underground World And Never Came Back?
-
13,000-Year-Old Human Footprints Discovered In Canada
-
Hephaestus (Hephaistos) – God Of Fire And Master Craftsman Constructed Talos, First Greek Robot And Divine Weapons Of The Gods
-
Evidence Of Increased Violence When The First Mesopotamian Cities Were Built
-
Will Egypt be able to buy back the 4500-year-old statue of Sekhemka?
-
On This Day In History: Battle of Salamis Was Fought – On Sep 22, 480 BC
-
Mystery Of A 5,000-Year-Old Mass Grave In Poland Reveals A Family Tragedy
-
DNA Study Reveals How Europe’s Hunter-Gatherers Adapted To A New Way Of Life – Farming
-
Two Vikings From The Same Family Reunited After 1,000 Years
-
‘Incredibly Mysterious’ Bronze Age Gold Penannular Ring Found In Norfolk
-
A Rare 1,500 Year Old Mosaic That Depicts Ancient Streets And Buildings in Egypt – Discovered
-
2,000-Year-Old Rock Art Sites Discovered In Jalapão, Brazil
-
Boomerangs Were Used To Shape Stone Tools By Aboriginal People
