Happy Sweet Sixteen, Hubble!

[v2]

The Hubble Space Telescope was launched on April 24, 1990, aboard the shuttle Discovery. Over its 16-year history, Hubble has taken many hundreds of images that have expanded our knowledge of the universe.

 

[Wildcat]

Truely amazing pictures!

 

[Gnomey]

Yeah great pics!

 

[syscom3]

Ive looked at the specs for the proposed Hubble replacement. The potential resolution would make these pictures seem to be out of focus!

 

[Pisis]

Space is amazing in we're just nothing in it....

 

[Erich]

GOD sure loves to paint !!

great pics

 

[evangilder]

Neat stuff. I really look forward to seeing the shots from its replacement.

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

they are good pics but why are we celebrating birthdays like the 16th birthday? aint it more normal to celebrate every 5 or 10 years?

 

[lesofprimus]

One of my favorite Hubble pics, shows just how big the Universe is...

 

[Gnomey]

It sure does and just think that is one small part of it...

 

[MichaelHenley]

just how big is your computer display les?

 

[syscom3]

they are good pics but why are we celebrating birthdays like the 16th birthday? aint it more normal to celebrate every 5 or 10 years?

16 years in space is a great achievement.

 

[cheddar cheese]

And now its past the age of consent, it can get intimate with other telescopes...

 

[Soren]

One thing worth remembering though is that the pictures taken by Hubble above are infrared pictures, which means it doesn't look the same to the human eye if we ever get that close ourselves, but an amazing sight it is going to be regardless.

Here's an interesting article on the difference between infrared, X-ray, gamma-ray and radio vision compared to our own vision: http://science.nasa.gov/newhome/headlines/features/ast20apr99_1.htm

 

[Soundbreaker Welch?]

GOD sure loves to paint !!

We creators are all just copycats of God. God's got the biggest, baddest bomber, thats way more powerful than what we created by the way, to blast us all at judgment day.

 

[syscom3]

One thing worth remembering though is that the pictures taken by Hubble above are infrared pictures, which means it doesn't look the same to the human eye if we ever get that close ourselves, but an amazing sight it is going to be regardless.

Here's an interesting article on the difference between infrared, X-ray, gamma-ray and radio vision compared to our own vision: http://science.nasa.gov/newhome/headlines/features/ast20apr99_1.htm

Those pictures are in visible wavelength. The Hubble doesnt use IR sensors. Some of the pictures are color enhanced or partially color shifted to enhance visibility.

 

[Soren]

Those pictures are in visible wavelength. The Hubble doesnt use IR sensors. Some of the pictures are color enhanced or partially color shifted to enhance visibility.

Nope syscom3, the Hubble telescope does actually take infrared pictures with a camera called the NICMOS, here are some more pictures taken by this camera:

 

[syscom3]

Youre right. I was thinking of the other instruments.

 

[Pisis]

Yeah how big is your screen Les? I had to shift the bar three times to achieve the end of that pic horizontally... I'm running 1280x1024...

 

[Soren]

One more Infrared picture taken by Hubble: