Hubble Space Telescope

hubble space telescope

The History of the Telescope

In the early 1600s, two Dutch eyeglass makers, Hans Lippershey and Zacharias Janssen, applied for patents for what may have been the first refracting telescopes. Lippershey’s design used two lenses, while Janssen’s incorporated three. Galileo Galilei, a professor of mathematics at the University of Pisa in Italy, is generally credited with building the first telescope—a refractor, based on Lippershey’s design—in 1609.

Galileo’s telescope had a 3-power magnifying lens. He used it to study the moons of Jupiter and the phases of Venus, and he discovered the four largest moons of Jupiter: Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. Galileo also observed sunspots and the cratered surface of the moon. His findings contradicted the then-accepted view, based on the writings of the Greek philosopher Aristotle, that all heavenly bodies are perfect and unchanging.

Galileo’s discoveries stirred great controversy and ultimately led to him being tried for heresy by the Catholic Church. He was found guilty and spent the last years of his life under house arrest.

The first large reflecting telescope was built in 1668 by Isaac Newton. His design used a concave primary mirror to reflect light to a secondary mirror, which then directed the light through a small hole to an eyepiece. This type of telescope, known as a Newtonian reflector, is still in use today.

Newton used his telescope to study the properties of light, and he discovered that white light is actually a mixture of all the colors of the spectrum. He also determined that the speed of light is constant.

The reflector telescope was improved upon in the early 1800s by a Scottish engineer named James Nasmyth. He replaced the small secondary mirror in Newton’s design with a larger one, which allowed more light to be gathered and resulted in a sharper image.

The next major advance in telescope technology came in the 1930s with the development of radio astronomy.

-How the Telescope Works

How the Telescope Works

The telescope is a very important tool for astronomers. It helps them to see things that are far away and to learn about the universe. There are many different types of telescopes. Some are very large, like the ones at observatories, and some are small enough to fit in your hand.

The first telescopes were made in the early 1600s by Galileo and other scientists. They were not very powerful, but they were good enough to allow scientists to see things that were far away. The first large telescope was built in 1609 by Galileo. He used it to study the planets and stars.

In the early 1800s, astronomers started to build telescopes that were much larger than the ones that had been made before. These new telescopes were so powerful that they could be used to see things that were very far away, like galaxies.

Today, there are telescopes that are even more powerful than the ones in the early 1800s. The most powerful telescope is the Hubble Space Telescope. It was launched into space in 1990 and has been taking pictures of the universe ever since.

The telescope works by collecting light from distant objects and then focusing that light into a small area. The light is then collected by a mirror or lens and sent to a detector. The detector is usually a camera, but it can also be a device that measures the light.

Hubble Space Telescope

The Hubble Space Telescope is a large telescope that is in space. It was launched in 1990 and has been taking pictures of the universe ever since.

The telescope works by collecting light from distant objects and then focusing that light into a small area. The light is then collected by a mirror or lens and sent to a detector. The detector is usually a camera, but it can also be a device that measures the light.

The Hubble Space Telescope has made some of the most amazing discoveries in the history of astronomy. It has allowed scientists to see things that were once thought to be impossible.

Some of the things that the Hubble Space Telescope has found include:

-The first stars in the universe

-Galaxies that are billions of light years away

-Black holes

-The Different Types of Telescopes

There are different types of telescopes, each designed for a specific purpose. Here is a brief overview of the most common types of telescopes:

Refracting Telescopes:

Refracting telescopes use a lens to gather and focus light. These telescopes are relatively simple in design and were the first type of telescope to be invented. Refracting telescopes are often small and portable, making them a good choice for amateur astronomers.

However, there are some drawbacks to refracting telescopes. The lens can cause chromatic aberration, which results in a distortion of colors. This can be minimized by using a lens made of multiple elements, but it can never be completely eliminated. In addition, the lens is subject to wear and tear, and may need to be replaced after several years of use.

Reflecting Telescopes:

Reflecting telescopes use a mirror to gather and focus light. These telescopes are more complex than refracting telescopes, but they do not suffer from chromatic aberration. Reflecting telescopes come in two main designs:

– Newtonian telescopes have the mirror at the end of the telescope, and the eyepiece is located near the front.

– Cassegrain telescopes have the mirror in the middle of the telescope, and the eyepiece is located near the back.

Both types of reflecting telescopes are popular among amateur and professional astronomers alike.

Catadioptric Telescopes:

Catadioptric telescopes are a hybrid of refracting and reflecting telescopes. They use both lenses and mirrors to gather and focus light. Catadioptric telescopes are compact and portable, making them a good choice for amateur astronomers.

However, there are some drawbacks to catadioptric telescopes. The lenses and mirrors can cause chromatic aberration, which results in a distortion of colors. This can be minimized by using a lens made of multiple elements, but it can never be completely eliminated. In addition, the lenses and mirrors are subject to wear and tear, and may need to be replaced after several years of use.

Radio Telescopes:

Radio telescopes are designed to detect radio waves emitted by astronomical objects. These

-The Future of the Telescope

The Hubble Space Telescope has been one of the most important astronomical tools of the past few decades. Its ability to take high-resolution images of distant objects has allowed us to learn a great deal about the universe around us. However, the telescope is now more than 30 years old and is in need of an upgrade.

The James Webb Space Telescope, set to launch in 2021, will be a replacement for the Hubble. It is designed to be much more powerful, with a much larger mirror and improved instrumentation. It will also be able to observe objects at infrared wavelengths, allowing us to see things that the Hubble can’t.

The Webb telescope is just one of many planned future telescopes. The Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, set to launch in 2022, will be able to survey the sky much faster than any current telescope. It will be able to take images of billions of objects and will be a valuable tool for studying dark matter and dark energy.

The Square Kilometre Array, set to begin construction in 2024, will be the largest radio telescope ever built. It will be made up of thousands of individual antennas spread across a vast area. Once completed, it will be able to detect radio signals from the early universe.

These are just a few of the many planned future telescopes. With their help, we will continue to learn about the universe and our place in it.