Figure 1-3: R I V U X G
A Telescope in Space Because it orbits outside Earth’s atmosphere in the near-vacuum of space, the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) can detect not only visible light but also ultraviolet and near-infrared light coming from distant stars and galaxies. These forms of nonvisible light are absorbed by our atmosphere and hence are difficult or impossible to detect with a telescope on Earth’s surface. This photo of HST was taken by the crew of the space shuttle Columbia after a servicing mission in 2002.
A Telescope in Space Because it orbits outside Earth’s atmosphere in the near-vacuum of space, the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) can detect not only visible light but also ultraviolet and near-infrared light coming from distant stars and galaxies. These forms of nonvisible light are absorbed by our atmosphere and hence are difficult or impossible to detect with a telescope on Earth’s surface. This photo of HST was taken by the crew of the space shuttle Columbia after a servicing mission in 2002.
(Courtesy of Scientific American/NASA/AAT)