The world of astronomy changed completely when, in 1990, Hubble was launched into orbit. The famous telescope has been responsible for some of the greatest discoveries in space in recent decades. And although there is talk about its possible withdrawal or displacement to keep it in orbit, today its importance cannot be denied. Next, we will talk to you about everything he has achieved in his 33 years in space.
Time passes, more and more people travel to space thanks to the important advances that are being experienced, and Hubble is still in place. For specialists it is a milestone that, today, is still one of the most important tools What does astronomy have? Because, even if it surprises you, thanks to Hubble discoveries continue to be made. Today it has already helped produce 19,000 studies and has carried out more than 1.5 million observations.
exploring the universe
We owe Hubble many of the major discoveries that have been made in our Solar System in recent decades. The images captured by the telescope they are simply spectacular. The quality of the photos that he has shared with the world have made us see what until now we had only imagined or seen with a much lower quality.
For example, Hubble captured images that gave astronomers the ability to do an in-depth analysis of how they change. the seasons on Jupiter and Uranus. This made it possible to verify that, just as it happens on Earth, the change of season is something very real on many of the planets with which we share a system. At the end of the day, everything depends on the way in which these planets are positioned with respect to the sun at each moment. However, Hubble was key in determining that the period of time each season lasts on the other planets is not the same as on Earth.
Hubble’s analysis of Jupiter and Uranus produced interesting discoveries. From Uranus, the totally unexpected way in which the planet practically turns upside down was presented, which results in there being areas of it that they do not get to receive the contact of the sun for very long periods of time. On Jupiter, the surprises were just as notable, since the telescope provided a close and quality view of the cyclones that form on the planet when storms occur.
In this same year, Hubble made another discovery celebrated by all the experts. It was about radii that expanded through the rings of Saturn in a phenomenon that had never been analyzed before. Represented as dark spots, these radii are believed to be related to the planet’s magnetic field, although much research remains to be done on this. The forecast of specialists is that the best time to see Saturn’s radii is on the autumn equinox of 2025. By then, Hubble is expected to be crucial again when it comes to continuing the investigation.
A crucial telescope for humanity
Thanks to Hubble, they have achieved other very important advances for astronomy even taking into account that the telescope has been in orbit for decades and that it is not equipped with the highest technology. For example, astronomers are delighted with the telescope’s ability to detect the presence of extrasolar planets, information from which they can make their own calculations and analyzes to learn more about them. Currently, the telescope does not provide enough power to be able to obtain images of these exoplanets, but it is an enormously important advance. This is how the exoplanets Kepler-138d and Kepler-138c, which are known to be formed by a water surface, were discovered.
The Hubble has also made it possible to study black holes like never before, the spirals of stars and many other things that have enriched the daily lives of astronomers. With the images transmitted by Hubble and the information obtained from them, it has been possible further study the formation of galaxies or even see phenomena as attractive as the moment in which a black hole devours a star.
For all these reasons, it can be seen that the history of Hubble forms a fundamental piece in the very history of humanity in the galaxy. It has even been used to test protection systems for the planet against the possible fall of asteroids, which shows that the possibilities offered by the telescope go beyond the simple discovery or analysis of planets. It is not surprising, therefore, that so hard work is being done to try to keep Hubble in orbit.