Astronauts finished repairs to the Hubble Space Telescope today.It was a tricky operation since the Hubble was never meant to be serviced in space. At one point when a stuck bolt on a handrail couldn't be loosened by hand or by tools, the astronauts just yanked the thing off by brute force.
Careful, don't puncture that suit.
Launched in 1990, the Hubble needed to be repaired in space a first time to correct a defect that gave it blurry vision. After that, the famed telescope has been sending back glorious images of stars and galaxies that had never been seen before or with this clarity.
Because of the curious relationship between the speed of light and the unimaginable vastness of space, the farther away the Hubble peers, the farther back in time it can see. Scientists are giddy with the prospect of seeing back to near the beginning of the universe.
First Hubble saw the "Pillars of Creation".
Next was the "Crown of Thorns"
After that? I wonder if they won't see God Himself waving at them. Hello. I've been waiting for you.
1 comment:
Dude, that would be hysterical and all sorts of awesome all at the same time.
Incidentally, for all it's failings, NASA did a bang up job with Hubble. The thing is just amazing.
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