Hubble Space Telescope Lesson Booklet Teacher's ... - Top Stars

6
Objective:
To introduce the HST as an orbiting space telescope.
The Hubble Space Telescope
NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is a very large
orbiting telescope named after Edwin P. Hubble. NASA’s
Goddard Space Flight Center controls the telescope by using
radio commands. The telescope is used by astronomers and other
scientists to thoroughly search and explore the Universe. The
HST is a very powerful reflecting telescope. Its light-gathering
mirror is 94 inches in diameter. Because the Hubble is so
powerful and it is above the planet Earth’s atmosphere, it
produces images that are more detailed than images obtained by
most other telescopes.
The Hubble Space Telescope is orbiting in space
approximately 360 miles above the surface of the Earth. Every 97
minutes, it completes one orbit around the Earth. It is circling
around the Earth at a speed of 17,500 mph., taking pictures of
planets, stars, galaxies, and other celestial objects. Since its
launch in 1990, the HST has taken billions of photo images. The
images taken by the telescope are transmitted by radio to
astronomers here on Earth. The data collected by Hubble has
greatly helped astronomers and the entire scientific community in
gaining a better understanding of the Universe.
Karen Freiboth
NASA Top Stars