2D talk before the 3D movie |
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When you see a star-filled picture of space, chances are it was taken by the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Last night, my daughter and I were treated to a screening of the Hubble 3D IMAX movie at the Maryland Science Center celebrating 20 years of the HST orbiting the earth.
Before the show, Dr. Jennifer Wiseman, NASA Goddard Chief of the Laboratory for Exoplanets and Stellar Astrophysics, gave a brief history of HST’s adventures in space. In 20 years, HST has orbited the earth over 110,000 times, viewing the universe in a way we never could with ground telescopes. Although it was launched on April 24, 1990, the pristine images that Hubble is known for weren’t possible until December of 1993, when a repair crew carried by the Space Shuttle Endeavor replaced faulty parts and updated others. Whether or not the astronaut crew would be able to complete the difficult repairs was unknown, and the repair was an anxious time for scientists at NASA Goddard who could only watch and hope from the ground. Due to the astronauts’ success at that and other maintenance visits to the telescope, we have garnered immense insights into the birth and death of stars, the distance of far-off galaxies, and the origins of the universe. Servicing Mission 4 in May of 2009 is expected to extend the life of the HST to at least 2013.
The IMAX movie itself centers around the first astronaut visit, and the joy of astronauts and researchers when the HST finally reaches its full operational potential. The repair portion of the movie is flanked by beautiful in-depth images of nebulae where you enter a star nursery and view what may be the origin of a new galaxy. Besides the drama of space and science, there is also humor, due mostly to astronaut Drew Feustel.
If you have any interest in space or just an interest in looking at beautiful pictures, see this movie. Viewing the achievements of scientists, astronauts, and the NASA program will inspire you. During the movie, my daughter kept reaching her hands out to catch the stars, certain that the universe was within her grasp.
Filed in: Global Research, Local Research.
Tags: Hubble, NASA Goddard, Space
