The Hubble Telescope (and the most important photograph ever taken)
by 28 people |
Ranked #1,089 in How-To, #10,615 overall
The Hubble Telescope, and Why it is Amazing
In research for my lens The Lunacy of Religion I followed link after link online getting completely obsessed with the topic, and along the way I spend a few hours looking through photographs taken by the Hubble Telescope.
The photographs are amazing, and it is surprising to me that people will limit the wonder and majesty of the universe to the sentence 'God did it'. The universe is far more beautiful and complex and awe-inspiring than that, and that is why I made this lens.
In the history of modern astronomy, there is probably no one greater leap forward than the building and launch of the space telescope known as the Hubble.
While NASA has had many ups and downs, the launch and continued operation of the Hubble space telescope probably ranks next to the moon landings and the development of the Space Shuttle as one of the greatest space exploration accomplishments of the last hundred years.
The Huge Leap by the Hubble Telescope
An amazing piece of astronomy trivia that few people know is that in truth, the sky we see is not really that visible using conventional methods of observation (like our eyes, or telescopes).For that reason, the Hubble really was a huge leap forward. Because the Hubble can operate outside of the atmosphere of Earth.
Trying to make significant space observations via telescopes from the terrestrial surface of planet Earth is very difficult. Earth's atmosphere presents a serious distraction from being able to see deeper and further into space.
This is why the images gathered by the Hubble Telescope are so much clearer than images gathered by telescopes on earth.
Edwin Hubble
The Hubble space telescope was named after the great scientist and visionary Edwin Hubble who discovered that the universe was expanding which was explained by what is now known in science as Hubble's Law.To truly get a feel for the amazing accomplishment that was achieved with the launch of the Hubble telescope, spend some time on Nasa's web site dedicated to the project at http://hubble.nasa.gov.
There are also a number of sites where you can enjoy some stunning pictures from the Hubble including http://heritage.stsci.edu and http://www.stsci.edu/ftp/science/hdf/hdf.html.
The Single Most Important Photograph Ever Taken By Humanity
This video contains what is claimed to be the most important photograph ever taken by man. Take a look.
P.S. Ignore that stupid Numa Numa dancing guy that pops up in the video. He is not the narrator. I can't possibly imagine what the creator of the video was thinking when he put that stupid guy in there.
The Hubble Deep Field Video with narration cleaned up
Here's the same video but with the smacking and breathing sounds removed and cleaned up. I apologize for not doing this before, but I never listened to the video with earphones on. Numa Numa guy is still there. Taking him out would have been more work that I wanted to do. Just FF past him if you don't like it. Added James McCarthy to credits, thanks to LodeStone1968 for the info.
Click The Image To See The Hubble Deep Field Enlarged
Click to enlarge the Deep Field image. View full-size. On the page that opens you may need to click the image again...
Repairs and Upgrades
This intricate piece of equipment would never have been able to be kept operational had we not had the Space Shuttle program to give us a tool to implement repairs and improvements to the Hubble. In 1993 a new lens was installed on the Hubble which corrected the problem of picture resolution that was noted in the early operation of the telescope.Two other repair and upgrade missions have been made to the Hubble since it launched, both of them in 1997 to upgrade older equipment and to retrofit the telescope to extend its useful life through 2010.
It's pretty amazing to think that this scientific and mechanical marvel has been operating now since 1997 (ten years!) without maintenance. We can be assured that plans are in the works for NASA to upgrade or replace parts on the Hubble to extend its useful life even further as that 2010 time frame draws closer.
How long has the Hubble Telescope been up there?
It's hard to believe how long the Hubble has been orbiting earth and sending back amazing video and pictures of what it is discovering in space. But the Hubble was actually initially launched on April 25th 1990.It was the culmination of literally decades of research and construction which began in 1977.
Expectations were high as the orbiting telescope was put in place and actually began to function as it was designed to do.
The Future of the Hubble Telescope
While many times those who would not fund space exploration have tried to cut funding for the Hubble, the operation of this telescope is just too important to astronomers and to the scientific well being of mankind and our planet not to continue to use the Hubble, or its next natural successor.
We will always need to have a set of eyes in the sky to watch the universe and discover more of its mysteries.
New eBay
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand by
Inspired?
Tell the world what you're thinking...
interstellaryeller wrote...
Very informative lens. And would you concider joining the squidoo astronomy group @ a>
Posted June 10, 2009
MindGuru wrote...
A nice concise history with some beautiful photos. Thanks!
Posted December 29, 2008
jooloo wrote
Wow, thanks for that. Are you saying there is a God mightier than ours in another galaxy? We need more and more of this information.
Posted November 02, 2008
EelKat wrote...
I just made a new group, for Sci-Fi lenses. Sending along an invitation to come join it! http://www.squidoo.com/groups/Sci-FiLovers
Posted March 30, 2008
squidfun wrote...
Just added this lens to my lens about A. Brashear. Hope that's ok to do w/o asking permission first, am new to this. Also want to say thanks. Thru one of your lens I clicked my way to P. Condell, who is new to me. Such a breath of fresh air. There IS sanity out there!
Posted October 23, 2007
Wayne wrote
Fantastic! After the Numa Numa guy I kept expecting to see one of those scary screaming pictures jump out, but was pleasantly surprised to find out this is a totaly legit site, and a dang good one, too!
Post more Hubble stuff, please!
Posted September 05, 2007
Chi-TownChica wrote...
Great lens! I have been following hubble news since I started grade school, and this is one of the best sites with info I have seen.
Posted September 05, 2007
wahlee wrote...
A meteorite went through someone's roof in Auckland New Zealand,and it destroyed their sofa.It was on display in Auckland Museum.Not that big really.She did not ssell it
Posted August 16, 2007
EcoCol wrote...
Hi Lewis. Fantastic lens. The video did it for me - we get caught up in our own 'little' world not realising how much more there is out there.
Posted August 15, 2007
SalesPractice wrote...
Great topic and excellent job with this lens. 5 stars :)
Posted August 11, 2007
rsmith17 wrote...
That was awesome! It's amazing what's out there isn't it? And yes, it's absurb to think we're the only planet with "life" on it. Fantastic lens! 5 stars.
Posted August 05, 2007
Mark Brodsky wrote
Hey Lewis - great info. One thing disturbs me - your dismissal of those who say that God created the universe. You say that is 'limiting' its wonder and majesty. Well, quite contrary, it is only by His power that the universe is so amazing. The Hubbel just let's us see His wondrous works!
Posted August 04, 2007
KimGiancaterino wrote...
Wonderful lens. The speck-of-dirt earth picture always puts things in perspective!
Posted July 31, 2007
GypsyPirate wrote...
Wow - you certainly did do your research. Thanks for having all this info right at my fingertips for me.
Posted July 28, 2007
allysa wrote...
amazing lens, I like the video. There's a lot of mysterious place out there needs to be discovered, thanks for this invention. This is truly a great help for mankind. 5* for you for such a wonderful lens.
Posted July 26, 2007
brettkun wrote...
Awesome dude! Gave you a sweet looking 5 Exactly what I had in mind!
http://squidoo.com/ghettogrammar97
Posted July 20, 2007
sayed wrote
Wow, I had no idea a Telescope could do all that.
Posted July 19, 2007
Rusty-Quill wrote...
Hey Lewis Great lens - those sure are some amazingly fantastic photos! And thanks for featuring my meteorite lens - now if only someone would buy a little 'ol meteorite for $60,000 you'd be able to see ME on the moon. =)
Posted July 17, 2007
Looking at the Sky Through A Squidoo Lens
-
Meteorites for Sale: Meteorite Buying Guides and Auctions
-
Meteorites for sale! Get them while they’re HOT! It won't be long before you hear this wild proclamation from street corners, well at least from your local neighborhood eBay store. That's right; meteorites continue to be the hottest trend amon...
-
Meteor Mania: Meteors, Meteorites, Meteoroids & Meteor Showers
-
Here we look at Meteors, those little chunks of debris that float around in space and sometimes graze the atmosphere and light up the sky or hit planets, moons or other solid bodies forming craters on the surface. They range in size from a speck...
-
Eclipses: Solar and Lunar
-
Photo: "Diamond Ring" Effect This rare spectacle of cosmic beauty occurs during a Total Solar Eclipse just seconds before and seconds after the moment of totality (Exact alignment at center). 2007 ECLIPSES: Times given in GMT/UT (Gree...
My Latest Links
Here are some of my latest links I wish the whole world could see!
1
Get Started Blogging | YourNicheBlog.com
I will build you a top-class niche blog on whatever your topic is, and pack in secret features most bloggers dream of. Your jaw will drop. Take a look...6 points
2
Opt In Forms On Your Lenses | SquidooTricks.com
Get real live opt in forms on your lenses. Build your mailing list faster, be a better marketer, and become better looking (not really).2 points
by MrLewisSmile
Hello! My name is Lewis Smile.
This lens is about the Hubble Telescope.
In research for my lens The Lunacy of Religion I followed link after l...
(more)
