The Hubble Space Telescope

The Hubble Space Telescope is named after astronomer Edwin Hubble. It was launched in 1990, but did not become fully operational until 1993, when a defect in the telescope's mirror was corrected during a space walk.

The concept of a space telescope had been under discussion for decades before the Hubble Space Telescope was launched. The basis for the concept was simply to overcome the basic problem of terrestrial astronomy: the atmosphere of the Earth. From the ground, many of the most important celestial objects are either hidden or so distorted that observing them provides little scientific value.

But the Hubble Space Telescope does not suffer from this limitation. Because it is in Earth orbit, it is free to observe nearly any object visible from Earth's location, and to photograph those objects in spectacular detail. Some of the most impressive and awe inspiring space photographs ever taken would have been impossible without the Hubble Telescope.