DOCEMENT RESUME ED 184 898 Sr 030 607 .TITLE Space refescope. INsnrano; National Aeronautics and SpaceAdministration, Huntsville, Ala. Gedrge C. Marshall Space Flight :enter. PUB DATE 80 NOTE 12p.; Illustrations will pot reproduce cfearly. EDRS PRICE SF01/P:01 Plus Postage. uscRIETORs *Astronomy; Elementary Secondary Education; Higher Education; *Pamphlets; Science 2ducatiok; Scientific Eaterprise; *Space Sciences; *Technological Advancement I, IDENTIFIERS' *Telescopes ABSTRAC2 - This pamphlet describes the Space Telescope, an unmanael multi-purpose telescope observatory planned,for la.unch into orbit by the Space Shuttle in the 1990s. The dnigue capabilities of this telescope are detailed, the major elements of the telescope are described;'and its prOposed mission operatioms are outlined. (S) 4. ***************************************4****************************#0 * . Reproductiong supplied by EDPS are th6 best tat,.can be maie I* * from the original document. 4 * ************************** U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, EDucAnctio WELFARE MAMMAL. INSTITUTE OF National Aeronautics and EDUCATION THIS DOZUMENT HAS SEEN REPRO-. Space Administration . DUCED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROM NEPERSON OR ORGANIZATION ORIGIN- ATING IT POINTS OF VIEW OR OPINIONS -STATED DO AIDT NECESSARILY REPRE- Maishall Space Flight Center SENT OFFICIAL NATIOhAL INSTITUTE OE EDUCATION POSITION OR POLICY 'Ng c.04 Space Teescope 11 A sr, is.#* , . N2L. j.rs. S. Ttie Space Telescope is án 'unmanned multi-purpose optyial telescope observatory pianned for launch into Earth orbit by the Space Shuttle in the 1980s.The Marshall Space. Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.; is NASA's lead center for ma'n- agement of the Space Tele- scope projebt. APR 1 7 1996 4 I. 4 NM Why Astronomy ? Astronomy deals with the most enhanced by the Spac-e Telescope, of the evolution of. a star like our fundamental issues that face rea- envisioned today as'mankind's eye 'Sun are very long compared with soning man: how did my world come to the univers.e for the next 20 years. .the.total lifetime of men on the into being, what is the order of the Some.may wonder why we need Earth, bi observing individual Universe, what role does my world to look toNthe stars. Why, other stars in different phases of their play; and what is its future? thar; curiosity, should man strive changes, the astronomer can Answering these questions is to examine thefar reaches of the accurately picture the Sun from the challenge to th2 astronomer, cosmos? We look 1573catise the , cradle to grave. Even though the the.theolog* and the philosopher. missing pieces in thpuzzle bf the universe is abundant in its The'astronomer seeks to learnarid universe are out these. We want to phenomena and subjects, the ob-. understand the laws governing the know how it began, ,how it grew, sehrational nature of thisfscience structure and evolution of his hoyv it is changing, and what is its means that the astronbmer's 'universe by observation and ultimate fate. "eyes" are-only as good as his interpretation. The scale of distanceS.to,even imagination andA.uccesi in con- For more than a century, astron- the nearest stars is so great as to ceiving and realizing hew ways omers have dreamedof viewing the preyent the present generatiogs of of observing. sky through a telescope in space man from visiting them.for study. ,The view of a serene universe, outside the Earth's obscuring This`tnggls that the astronomer is , composed of stars and syStems of atrnotphere. Vyhi*.le,it may have only an observernot 'an experi- stars (galaxiqs), has given way in the been a tirea.rn f8i- ()berth, the menter. He cannot punch, squeeze, past ZO years to a picture of a violent Gerhian scientist who first men- melt, or perform Pperations on the universe, filled with many.cata.- tioned the possibility in0923, objects 'of -his study, but must lparn clysmic events accompanying the and even for those who discussed only from observing what nature is origin of galaxies 'and the death of it extenslwly in thelate'1940's doing. stars.' We now know of quasars, and eaffy 1950's, today it has' Fortunately, the same vastness of, neutran stars and possibly black become a reality. scale that prohibits our travel also holes, each of which gives off signals Relatively small telescopes are allows a richness of conditions 'to of ItA nature and exisience with no already in orbit, such as NASA's aPply and a host of idifferent obser- regard for the serisitivity of the eyes International Ultraviolet Explorer vable phenomena to occur. For of the most intelligent species, or for' and Orbiting Astronomical Observ- example,-we pan study regions of the paoperties of the atmosphere, of the third planet of a, rather common atory. ionized gaA that are so rarefied as But now NASA is developing a to surpass the best vacuums achiev- star.. much larger and more sophisticated able on.the E 6; and we can study This means that if we are to instrument called the Space Tele- collapSed st_,.so dense that all of get a 'complete viewfof the real scope, a multi-purpose.unm9nned the Earth could be compressed with universd we must continue to- build powerful telescopes and to optical telescope in Earth orbit, equal density into a sphere only observe from space iiself, where we scheduled to become operational 1,000 feet in diameter. in the 1980s. The profusion of observable see the universe as it really is The astronomer's capacity for objects can also be used to advan- not filtered by the terrestrial atmos - observation will be Aremendously tageY Although most of theiAlase% phere. 5 NEARBY GALAXY This spiral galaxy, in ttie constellation Andromeda, is just barely .visible to the naked aye. While it is our 'closest large neighboring galaxy, it is 'still 2.2 million light yearsaway. The Space Telescope will enable astronomers to study this galaxy, which is very similar to our own, and other celestial objects in far greater detail than ever before. , It canibe argued that astronomy NASA's Space Shuttle,lhe Space is an eso,teric science, justifiable Telescope will orbit friigh above only on the grounds.pf fundamen- the hazy and turbulent atmosphere, tal curiosity; however, there is fur- where it will enable scZists to the0 justification in its study of see the universe moreearly. unique phenomena*. Nature pro- The Space Tele§cope is a superb vides conditions that.cannot be system that will fully exploit the duplicated-on the Earth and other advantages of space observations. conditions whose cost to duplicate lt is a natural next step in the cur- would be prohibi.tively expensive rent revolution in astronomy, a for basic research. revolution that history VII probably This means that we find condi- equate with Gillleo's inifention of tions that expand ot.d current the simple telescope 370 years ago. understanding of natural laws. Th history of science shows that it is when tljerexisting laws. are putlo . the mostdemanding tests that the greatest advances in understanding 'occur. This raises the real possi- bility that fundamental processes I first understood from astronomi- cal observations can, eventuaHy be ppplied to aid the Earth and its 4 ,* popuAtion. All types of observations are possible, from low-energy radio waves through the ultra-high- energy gamma rays; but the greatest supplier of astronomical information is stiH the optical tele- scope. Since the turbulence of the SUPERNOVAE REMNANT This vs the Earth's atmosphere imposes prac- Crab Nebula in the constellation Taurus It is the remnant of a supernova, or explod- tical limitations in all 'but a very ing star, that first appeared in 1054 A.D. selected few types of observa- Supernovae are very rare; only six have tions, the only practical successor ,been recorded in our galaxy in the past 2,000 years. They may flare to as much as to the giant Earth-based telescope is a billion times their original brightness. thiiiigh-qualityspace telescope. fading in less than a year The Sp'ace Tele- The Space Telescope Project scope will study these and many other will provide such a telescope. objects in the ultraviolet, visible and near infrared spectrum. Launched into Earth orbit by 2 What Space Telescope CanDo The Space Telescope's unique 50 times.fainter than those seen capability for high angular resolu-, by the most powerful telescopes'. tion imagery, large auxiliary equip- Within the solar System, they tan ment payload and efficiency of monitor atmospheric and surface operation will make it the most . phenomena of the planets. powerful telesco`pe ever built, With a telescope in Earth orbit, enabling man to gaze seven times long time exposure images more 'farther into space than now than 1=0 times sharper tharrthose possible perhaps.to the outer from the ground can be achieved. edges of the universe. Another great advantageof The largestkirth-basedtele- orbital observation is the absence scopes in oper,ation today can- of atmospheric material that see an estimated two billion light absorbs the ultraviolet and infrared years, or about 12 billion trillion radiation froni stars. miles, intOspace. The Space Tele- Tlcerisper images of the e scope will be able to see much telescope, combined wifh the deeper 14 billion light-years. darker sky background, will Some scientists believe the universealso permit much fainter objects was formed nearly1,4 bi4lion years to be detected. By concentrating ago so the Space Teletcope mightthe starlighhinto a smaller provide views of galaxies at the timearea, the contrast with the they were forpetr*\ background (which is lower, due Studying the stars isn't 'merely to the absence of scattered light a matter of distance,however; it and airglow emission) is improved, cOMPARI N WITH EARTH-BASED, is also one of clarity. All Earth- while the concentration means TELESCOPE Resolution of the Space.