Hubble's Greatest Discoveries

 

We live in an age of deep understanding about our universe. From asteroids within the solar system to galaxies at the edge of space, we've seen glimpses of the cosmos that our ancestors would have found hard to believe. One observatory in particular, the Hubble Space Telescope, has continuously transformed our understanding of cosmology for more than 30 years.

The Hubble telescope is a bussized satellite that launched into space in 1990. It studies our universe in crystal clear resolution, unhampered by atmospheric disturbances and absorption that constrains groundbased telescopes. Hubble has taken more than 1.5 million observations of the cosmos for more than 12,000 scientific endeavors, yielding important information about our universe.

However, Hubble faced challenges in its early years. A month after launching, it was discovered that the telescope's spherical primary mirror was slightly off, causing blurry images. Despite this, Hubble remained an unrivaled tool for cataloging and measuring the distances to the brightest extragalactic stars.

Using cepheid variable stars, Hubble was able to accurately measure the distance of nearby spiral galaxy Messier 81, contributing to the determination of the age of the universe. By extrapolating the expansion of the universe backwards, scientists estimated the age to be around 13.5 billion years.

In 1993, NASA embarked on the first servicing mission to Hubble, where astronauts delivered and installed replacement components to improve the telescope's optics. This allowed Hubble to finally deliver clear and detailed images of the universe.

Hubble's enhanced capacity also enabled spectroscopic measurements, leading to the study of the giant elliptical galaxy Messier 87. Scientists were particularly intrigued by a stream of matter emanating from the galaxy's core. The mystery surrounding this stream has sparked further research and debate.

Study Hack: Unveiling the Secrets of the Universe with the Hubble Telescope

The Hubble Telescope has played a pivotal role in unraveling some of the mysteries of the universe. Its sensitive instruments have allowed scientists to make groundbreaking discoveries, such as identifying supermassive black holes and capturing the impact of a comet on Jupiter. In addition, the telescope has provided stunning images of distant galaxies and shed light on the expansion of the universe. Let's dive into some of the most significant findings made by the Hubble Telescope.

Supermassive Black Holes and the M87 Jet

In 1994, the Hubble Telescope provided evidence for the existence of a supermassive black hole at the heart of the M87 galaxy. By analyzing spectral data, Hubble detected a spiral structure propagating at incredible speeds. This structure turned out to be an accretion disk of a supermassive black hole, estimated to be at least 3 billion times the mass of the sun. The black hole's immense gravitational influence explained the rotation of the disk and the formation of a jet that emitted radio waves.

The Impact of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 on Jupiter

In 1994, Hubble had the opportunity to witness the impact of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 on Jupiter. As the comet broke into 21 fragments and collided with the gas giant, it caused eruptions and created dark patches on Jupiter's atmosphere. This event provided valuable insights into the chemistry and composition of the gas giant.

The Pillars of Creation in the Eagle Nebula

The Hubble Telescope captured an iconic image known as the "Pillars of Creation" in the Eagle Nebula. These pillars are dense regions of gas where new stars are born. The image highlighted the process of stellar synthesis and became widely recognized in various forms of media.

The Hubble Deep Field: a Glimpse into the Universe's Past

In 1995, Hubble observed a small, seemingly empty patch of sky in the constellation Ursa Major for ten consecutive days. This observation resulted in the famous Hubble Deep Field image, which revealed over 3,000 galaxies at various stages of evolution. This image provided a glimpse into the universe's past, dating back more than 10 billion years.

The Discovery of Dark Energy

Hubble's observations of supernovae in the late 1990s led to a remarkable discovery. Instead of decelerating, as expected in a gravity-dominated universe, the expansion of the universe was found to be accelerating. This finding indicated the existence of dark energy, a mysterious force pushing the universe apart.

Measuring the Universe's Rate of Expansion

The Hubble Telescope's enhanced capabilities allowed scientists to measure the universe's rate of expansion more accurately. While Hubble had previously estimated a constant expansion rate, further investigations revealed fluctuations in the expansion over time. These discoveries have contributed to our understanding of the evolution and dynamics of the universe.