Ep. 88: The Hubble Space Telescope

Hubble Space Telescope. Image credit: NASA credit:

Our understanding of the cosmos has been revolutionized by the Hubble Space Telescope. The breathtaking familiar photos, like the Pillars of Creation, pale in comparison to the astounding amount of science data returned to Earth. Hubble's getting old, though, serviced several times already, and due for another mission later this year. Let's relive the historic observatory's amazing life so far, and see what the future holds. Episode 88: The Hubble Space Telescope

Show Notes

Episode 88: The Hubble Space Telescope

Hubble History

• An overview of the Hubble Space Telescope's history from the Hubblesite
• NASA's online history of HST
• Planetary Society's chronological timeline of the HST
• Biography of Lyman Spitzer
• Biography of Edwin Hubble
• Challenger Space Shuttle disaster
• Slideshow of Hubble launch and deployment
• Spherical Aberation from Wikipedia
• Perkin Elmer company

Servicing Missions

• The COSTAR instrument that saved Hubble
• STS-61, the mission to repair Hubble
• Overview of Hubble Servicing Missions
• Collection of Images from STS-82, second Hubble servicing mission
• Collection of Images from STS-103, third Hubble servicing mission
• Collection of Images from STS-109, fourth Hubble servicing mission
• Info on upcoming fifth servicing mission, scheduled launch, Oct. 2008

Hubble 411

• Overview of all Hubble Instruments
• How Hubble Works (PBS)
• Hubble's Optics
• pdf. about Hubble's gyroscopes
• Comprehensive list of all orbiting astronomical observatories from SEDS
• Make your own model of Hubble

Hubble's Greatest Hits

• Hubblesite Gallery
• Hubble's Greatest Hits , 1990-1995
• Hubble Heritage images from the Space Telescope Science Institute
• See Hubble images on the World Wide Telescope

Books about Hubble

• The Universe in a Mirror by Robert Zimmerman (2008)
• Hubble:  15 Years of Discovery by Lars Christensen, et all, (2006)

1. Ian Dodd Says:
   May 16th, 2008 at 12:10 pm

   I really enjoyed episode 88 about the Hubble Space Telescope. As a new stargazer, I wasn't paying attention to space exploration during most of Hubble's life so it was great to hear some of the history, as well as to find out about the upcoming service mission and the launch of the James Webb 'scope. And as an earth-based observer dreaming of upgrading from my 6" dobsonian to an 8" or 10" computer-controlled 'scope, the possibilities for space-based observation in the invisible spectra just seem fantastic.

   As a side anecdote, here is how the name Hubble has become synonymous with far-reaching sight. I work as a motion picture camera operator on films and television. One of our two main camera and lens manufacturers, Panavision, makes a lens officially called the Primo 3:1 Zoom. This is a lens that has only a modest three to one zoom range, but its focal length varies from 135mm at the wide end to 420mm at the long end. On a 35mm film format, this is considered a long telephoto lens. In addition, it has a maximum aperture of f/2.8, making it very useful in low-light situations. Not surprisingly, then, this lens is usually referred to in the industry by its nickname: "The Hubble".

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