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10/03/2004
Hubble's last long look reveals earliest galaxies
Astronomers at the Space Telescope Science Institute have unveiled the deepest image yet of the visible universe.
The million-second-long exposure, probably the last deep look by the Hubble telescope, has revealed the first galaxies to emerge from the so-called "dark ages," shortly after the big bang when stars began to reheat the then cold, dark universe.
Combining two separate images taken by Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) and the Near Infrared Camera and Multi-object Spectrometer (NICMOS) has revealed images of galaxies that are too faint to be seen by ground-based telescopes, or even in Hubble's previous faraway glimpses, taken in 1995 and 1998.
"Hubble takes us to within a stone's throw of the big bang itself," claimed Massimo Stiavelli of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore.
The images obtained will be used to search for galaxies that existed between 400 and 800 million years after the big bang. A key question for astronomers is whether the universe appears to be the same at this very early time as it did when the cosmos was between one and two billion years old.
Installed in 2002 during the last servicing mission to the Hubble telescope, the ACS allows astronomers to see galaxies two to four times fainter than Hubble could view previously, and is also very sensitive to the near-infrared radiation that allows astronomers to view some of the farthest observable galaxies in the universe.
The image, which took five months to gather, will hold the record as the deepest-ever view of the universe until the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope in 2011.
The information contained in the image is expected to lead to research papers that will offer new insights into the birth and evolution of galaxies.
However, the decision announced recently by NASA's Sean O'Keefe not to proceed with an essential scheduled service of the Hubble array has been widely criticised.
The decision to scrub the fourth Hubble service mission, blamed on the Columbia space shuttle disaster, will mean that the telescope's gyroscope and electrical systems may begin to fail as early as this year and will certainly be non-functional by 2007.
(SP)
The million-second-long exposure, probably the last deep look by the Hubble telescope, has revealed the first galaxies to emerge from the so-called "dark ages," shortly after the big bang when stars began to reheat the then cold, dark universe.
Combining two separate images taken by Hubble's Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) and the Near Infrared Camera and Multi-object Spectrometer (NICMOS) has revealed images of galaxies that are too faint to be seen by ground-based telescopes, or even in Hubble's previous faraway glimpses, taken in 1995 and 1998.
"Hubble takes us to within a stone's throw of the big bang itself," claimed Massimo Stiavelli of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore.
The images obtained will be used to search for galaxies that existed between 400 and 800 million years after the big bang. A key question for astronomers is whether the universe appears to be the same at this very early time as it did when the cosmos was between one and two billion years old.
Installed in 2002 during the last servicing mission to the Hubble telescope, the ACS allows astronomers to see galaxies two to four times fainter than Hubble could view previously, and is also very sensitive to the near-infrared radiation that allows astronomers to view some of the farthest observable galaxies in the universe.
The image, which took five months to gather, will hold the record as the deepest-ever view of the universe until the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope in 2011.
The information contained in the image is expected to lead to research papers that will offer new insights into the birth and evolution of galaxies.
However, the decision announced recently by NASA's Sean O'Keefe not to proceed with an essential scheduled service of the Hubble array has been widely criticised.
The decision to scrub the fourth Hubble service mission, blamed on the Columbia space shuttle disaster, will mean that the telescope's gyroscope and electrical systems may begin to fail as early as this year and will certainly be non-functional by 2007.
(SP)
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24 August 2011
First Science From EU Mega Telescope
A groundbreaking mega-telescope technique developed by astronomers as part of an EU-funded project has produced it's first high-resolution images of distant galaxies. The project uses a system whereby radio telescopes around the world are linked up to simultaneously observe the most remote objects in the universe.
First Science From EU Mega Telescope
A groundbreaking mega-telescope technique developed by astronomers as part of an EU-funded project has produced it's first high-resolution images of distant galaxies. The project uses a system whereby radio telescopes around the world are linked up to simultaneously observe the most remote objects in the universe.
11 July 2003
Hubble maps 13-billion-year-old planet
The oldest planet ever discovered in the universe – a 13-billion-year-old Jupiter-sized planet orbiting a sun-like star 5,600 light years away – has been mapped by Nasa's Hubble Space Telescope. However, it is "very improbable" that the planet ever hosted life.
Hubble maps 13-billion-year-old planet
The oldest planet ever discovered in the universe – a 13-billion-year-old Jupiter-sized planet orbiting a sun-like star 5,600 light years away – has been mapped by Nasa's Hubble Space Telescope. However, it is "very improbable" that the planet ever hosted life.
09 February 2007
Ferry officer in court over sailors' deaths
A 61-year-old P&O employee has appeared in court charged with manslaughter, due to gross negligence, of three sailors. Michael Hubble, of Folkestone in Kent, appeared at Portsmouth Magistrates' Court charged with the manslaughter of Jason Downer, James Meaby and Rupert Saunders.
Ferry officer in court over sailors' deaths
A 61-year-old P&O employee has appeared in court charged with manslaughter, due to gross negligence, of three sailors. Michael Hubble, of Folkestone in Kent, appeared at Portsmouth Magistrates' Court charged with the manslaughter of Jason Downer, James Meaby and Rupert Saunders.
08 February 2007
P&O man charged over sailors' deaths
A P&O employee has been charged with the manslaughter of three sailors found dead in the English Channel last year. Michael Hubble, from Folkestone in Kent, was working on the Pride of Bilbao ferry at the time that the yacht Ouzo disappeared last August. The yacht had left Bembridge on August 20 in order to sail to Devon for the Dartmouth Regatta.
P&O man charged over sailors' deaths
A P&O employee has been charged with the manslaughter of three sailors found dead in the English Channel last year. Michael Hubble, from Folkestone in Kent, was working on the Pride of Bilbao ferry at the time that the yacht Ouzo disappeared last August. The yacht had left Bembridge on August 20 in order to sail to Devon for the Dartmouth Regatta.
14 January 2005
European joy as Huygens probe lands on Titan
The European-built Huygens probe has successfully landed on Titan, penetrating the thick, orange-coloured clouds that have until now prevented scientists observing details of the moon's surface. The first scientific data to reach Earth arrived at the European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) in Germany at around 16:30 GMT today.
European joy as Huygens probe lands on Titan
The European-built Huygens probe has successfully landed on Titan, penetrating the thick, orange-coloured clouds that have until now prevented scientists observing details of the moon's surface. The first scientific data to reach Earth arrived at the European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) in Germany at around 16:30 GMT today.
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