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Published byMatthew Alexander Modified over 9 years ago
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Introduction Conception, design How it works? The HST launch Scientific results Future of Hubble Conclusion
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Conception, design Quest of funding –Success of Orbiting Astronomical Observatory(OAO) encouraged construction of the telescope. –A space telescope is far more costly than any Earth-based telescope.
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–The funding issues led to something of a reduction in the scale of the project Construction –Project divided between many institutions: Optical Telescope Assembly Spacecraft …
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–Mirror and optical systems were the most crucial part: HST accuracy of 1/20 of wavelength of visible light. Polishing began in 1979 and continued until 1981 –The spacecraft was another major engineering challenge –Challenger disaster In 1986 space program had to halt
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How it works?
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–Finally the HST was launched on 24 April 1990 –First problem: a flawed mirror Problem with the optical system –Origin of the problem An error from Perkin-Elmer The HST launch
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How to correct this mistake? –December 1993 : A servicing mission to save the telescope –New opticals components with the same error in the opposite sens But all the instruments cannot be repair this way –COSTAR: Corrective Optics Space Telescope Axial Replacement
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Scientific results –Hubble has helped to resolve some long-standing problems in astronomy. The measure of the rate at which the universe is expanding This expansion is accelerating –The observation of the collision of Comet Shoemaker- Levy 9 with Jupiter in 1994.
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Future of Hubble –Equipment failure Estimation of failure rate of gyroscopes by 2008 Hubble eventually require a change of batteries –Orbital decay If not re-boosted by a shuttle, it will re-enter the Earth's atmosphere sometime between 2010 and 2032
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Conclusion –A lots of problems to make it work –But a lot of images and an enormous impact on astronomy –A dubious future
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