We all know those amazing images, right?
Swirling galaxies nebulae across space stars being born.
Absolutely.
I bet most people don't realize
a lot of those pictures come from the same place,
the Hubble Space Telescope.
Yeah.
It's been up there, what, three decades now?
Over 30 years, yeah.
Crazy, but what's the story behind it?
What makes Hubble such a game changer for astronomy?
Hmm, well.
Welcome to Cosmos in a pod, the space and astronomy series.
So to start, think about trying to take a picture
like through a rippling pool.
That's kind of what it's like trying to observe space
from down here on Earth.
Ah, I see.
Our atmosphere makes everything blurry.
Right.
Hubble, though, orbits above all that about 340 miles up.
Wow.
Yeah, and from that vantage point,
it can capture those incredibly sharp images
that we're all used to seeing.
So it's like having a crystal clear window
to look through into the universe.
No.
That's pretty ingenious, but why Hubble?
Who was it named after?
It's named after Edwin Hubble, an astronomer
who made some groundbreaking discoveries
about the expanding universe back in the early 20th century.
OK.
And just like its namesake, the telescope itself
has expanded our understanding of the cosmos
in ways we really couldn't have imagined before it.
That makes sense.
So what was it actually built to do?
I mean, what were the big goals for Hubble?
One of the main goals was to look into the early universe.
By capturing light from the most distant galaxies and stars,
Hubble helps us understand how the universe evolved
over billions of years.
So like a time machine.
Exactly.
It's a time machine.
That's amazing.
Allowing us to observe the cosmos as it
was billions of years ago.
That's mind-blowing.
So it's not just taking pretty pictures, then.
It's about understanding the history of the universe itself.
Yeah, exactly.
Another key objective was to accurately measure
the universe's expansion.
How do they do that?
So we do that by using special types of stars
called suffide variables and type Ia supernovae.
These stars act as what we call standard candles.
Their intrinsic brightness is known.
So we can calculate their distance
by how bright they appear to us.
By observing these stars in distant galaxies,
we can figure out how fast they're moving away from us,
which gives us a precise measurement of the universe's
expansion rate.
So it's like using a cosmic yardstick
to map out the universe.
Fascinating.
What else was on Hubble's to-do list?
Well, how about searching for alien worlds?
Really?
Yeah.
Hubble can actually analyze the atmospheres of planets
orbiting other stars.
Wow.
Looking for signs of life.
You know, we're talking about the possibility
of discovering extraterrestrial life.
Whoa.
So Hubble is tackling some of the biggest questions
in astronomy.
How did the universe begin?
Are we alone?
That's incredible.
But it wasn't all smooth sailing for Hubble.
What do you mean?
Well, it had a bit of a rocky start.
Oh.
What happened?
Shortly after its launch in 1990,
scientists discovered a flaw in Hubble's primary mirror.
Oh.
During the manufacturing process,
it was polished to the wrong curvature.
So like a giant space telescope with blurry vision?
Essentially, yes.
The images it sent back were out of focus
and unusable for the kind of science it was designed to do.
Yeah, it was a huge setback for the entire project.
That must have been devastating.
Did they just abandon it?
Thankfully, no.
In 1993, NASA sent astronauts on a very daring mission
to repair Hubble in space.
Hold on.
They fixed a giant telescope in orbit.
That sounds incredibly risky.
It was an incredibly complex and risky maneuver,
but thankfully, it was a success.
That repair mission turned Hubble
into the powerful instrument we all know and love today.
Talk about a comeback story.
So once it was fixed, what were some of the major discoveries
Hubble made?
What's it known for?
Oh, there are so many groundbreaking findings.
Perhaps one of the most iconic is the Hubble Deep Field.
OK.
In 1995, they pointed Hubble at a seemingly empty patch
of sky, a tiny region smaller than a grain of sand
held at arm's length.
Wow.
They kept it focused there for 10 straight days, collecting
as much light as possible.
10 days on one tiny speck of sky.
Why?
They wanted to see what was hiding in the depths of space
beyond what we could see with normal telescopes.
And the results were astonishing.
Hubble revealed thousands of galaxies
some billions of light years away in that tiny patch of sky.
It completely changed our understanding
of just how vast and populated the universe really is.
It's like finding a whole hidden universe where
we thought there was nothing.
What other incredible things did Hubble uncover?
Well, Hubble's observations provided the first conclusive
evidence that the expansion of the universe
is actually accelerating.
What?
Yeah.
This discovery led to the concept of dark energy,
a mysterious force that seems to be pushing everything apart
at an ever-increasing rate.
Dark energy.
That sounds like something out of science fiction.
I know, right?
But it's real.
And Hubble played a crucial role in its discovery.
It also helped us pinpoint the age of the universe,
determining it to be about 13.8 billion years old.
It's older than anything you could possibly imagine.
It really is.
It seems like Hubble is rewriting our understanding
of the universe.
What about those alien worlds we talked about earlier?
Did Hubble find anything there?
Yes.
Remember how we discussed Hubble's ability to analyze
exoplanet atmospheres?
Well, for the very first time, it detected water vapor methane
and other key molecules in the atmospheres
of distant planets.
Head out.
It was a monumental discovery, opening up
a whole new field of research and bringing us
closer to potentially finding signs of life beyond Earth.
That's incredible.
I remember those iconic images of the pillars of creation.
Those were from Hubble, right?
Absolutely.
Those stunning images captured the Eagle Nebula,
a star-forming region where massive pillars of gas and dust
are illuminated by the intense light of newborn stars.
Wow.
It's like witnessing the birth of stars in real time,
millions of light years away.
It's just mind-blowing to think we can see those kinds of events
happening from such a distance.
So Hubble is doing more than just making scientific discoveries.
It's capturing these awe-inspiring images that
really capture the public imagination.
You hit the nail on the head.
Hubble's images have had a profound impact on our culture.
They've become iconic symbols of space exploration,
inspiring artists, writers, filmmakers, and countless others.
They've certainly inspired me.
They make you realize just how vast and beautiful
the universe truly is.
And it's not just about the beauty.
They've also made science more accessible to the public.
Exactly.
Those stunning visuals communicate
complex scientific concepts sometimes better
than words can.
It's helped ignite a passion for astronomy and people
all over the world.
It really is amazing how a single telescope
can have such a profound impact on both science and culture.
I know.
It's really something.
So Hubble's been up there for over three decades.
And we've talked about the mirror issue early on.
But I imagine keeping a telescope working
for that long in space must be a lot of work, right?
You're absolutely right.
NASA has actually sent astronauts
on five separate servicing missions
to repair and upgrade Hubble over the years.
Five missions.
Wow, that's dedication.
What kinds of things do they fix or upgrade?
Everything from replacing faulty gyroscopes,
which helped point the telescope to installing
new cameras and scientific instruments to boost
Hubble's capabilities.
One of the most significant upgrades
was the installation of the Wide Field Camera 3 in 2009.
Yeah, this significantly enhanced Hubble's ability
to observe in both visible and ultraviolet light,
allowing it to capture even more breathtaking images
and make groundbreaking discoveries.
So it's like giving Hubble a regular tune-up
to keep it running smoothly.
But even with all those upgrades,
isn't there a limit to how long it can keep going?
After all, it's been up there for a long time.
You're right.
Even the best maintained machines have a lifespan.
And remember, the last servicing mission
was in 2009 when the space shuttle program retired.
There's no way to send astronauts to fix it anymore.
So Hubble's on its own now.
It is.
And while it's still delivering valuable observations,
it does face some challenges with aging components.
I see.
After over 30 years in space, some parts
are starting to show their age.
It's like a vintage car.
It still runs beautifully, but it needs a little extra care
and attention.
That makes sense.
So what does the future hold for Hubble?
Is it nearing the end of its mission?
That's a great question.
And it leads us to another fascinating chapter
in space exploration.
But I think that's a story for part two of our deep dive.
OK, you've definitely piqued my curiosity.
Listeners, we'll be back soon with part two
to discuss Hubble's legacy and what
the future holds for space telescopes.
Until then, keep looking up.
So we left off talking about Hubble's future.
Right.
It's a bit bittersweet, isn't it?
Yeah, a little bit.
This incredible instrument that's
revolutionized our understanding of the universe
is inevitably nearing the end of its operational life.
It is sad to think about, especially
after everything we've talked about that it's accomplished.
But I am really curious to hear what
you're going to say about this being a new chapter
in space exploration.
Right.
What did you mean?
Well, even though Hubble's time is limited,
it's paved the way for a whole new generation of space
telescopes.
It's like it's passing the torch to its successors, each one
building on the knowledge and technology that came before.
That's a great way to put it.
So which telescopes are stepping up to carry on Hubble's legacy?
Well, the most prominent one right now
is the James Webb Space Telescope, or JWST.
Oh, yeah.
It launched in 2021, and it's already
sending back breathtaking images and groundbreaking data.
Yeah, I've seen some of those pictures.
They're incredible.
How does JWST compare to Hubble?
What's different about it?
Well, for starters, JWST is much larger than Hubble.
Its primary mirror is over six times the size of Hubble's,
which means it can collect way more light,
allowing it to see even fainter and more distant objects.
So it's like having an even bigger and more powerful eye
on the universe.
Precisely.
But it's not just about size.
JWST is also designed to observe an infrared light,
which is particularly important for studying
the early universe.
Why is infrared light so important for that?
Because as the universe expands, light from distant objects
gets stretched, shifting its wavelength
towards the red end of the spectrum.
The most distant objects whose light has been traveling
for billions of years are so red shifted
that their light is mostly in the infrared part
of the spectrum.
So JWST can see things that are so far away and so old
that their light is invisible to Hubble.
Exactly.
It's like peering through a cosmic fog
that Hubble can't penetrate.
JWST is allowing us to see back to the very first stars
and galaxies that formed after the Big Bang.
Wow.
It's literally rewriting the early chapters
of the universe's history.
That's incredible.
So JWST is already making waves, but are there
any other exciting telescopes on the horizon?
Absolutely.
There are several ambitious projects in development,
each with its own unique capabilities.
Cool.
One that I'm particularly excited about
is the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope
set to launch in the mid-2020s.
The Roman Telescope.
OK.
What's special about that one?
What will it be focusing on?
Roman is designed to have an incredibly wide field of view,
allowing it to capture massive panoramic images of the sky.
Wow.
It'll be like taking a wide angle lens to the universe.
So instead of zooming in on specific objects,
it'll be surveying vast areas of space.
Exactly.
This will make it ideal for studying
large scale structures in the universe,
like galaxy clusters and the distribution of dark matter.
It'll also be a really powerful tool
for discovering and characterizing exoplanets.
That's fascinating.
It seems like each new telescope is
pushing the boundaries of what we can observe and understand
about the universe.
It's making me think back to all the big questions
that Hubble tackled during its mission.
What were some of the most significant unanswered questions
that Hubble helped address?
Well, one of the biggest and most enduring mysteries
in astronomy is the nature of dark matter and dark energy.
We know they exist based on their gravitational effects,
but we still don't know what they're made of.
We talked about that earlier.
They're like these invisible forces shaping the universe.
Exactly.
Hubble played a crucial role in mapping
the distribution of dark matter and measuring
the accelerating expansion of the universe,
which is driven by dark energy.
It provided essential clues that have really
shaped our current understanding of these enigmatic phenomena.
So it's like Hubble gave us a more detailed map
of the cosmic landscape, even if we don't fully understand
all the forces at play.
Yeah, that's a great way to put it.
And it's not just about dark matter and dark energy.
Hubble also made significant contributions
to our understanding of star formation.
Oh, right.
We talked about those stellar nurseries hidden
in those clouds of gas and dust.
Precisely.
Before Hubble, our view of these regions was pretty limited.
But with its ability to observe an infrared and ultraviolet
light, Hubble could pierce through those clouds,
revealing the processes of star birth in stunning detail.
So Hubble acted like a cosmic X-ray machine,
giving us a glimpse into these hidden stellar nurseries.
Exactly.
It provided really crucial data that allowed astronomers
to study the temperatures, densities, and dynamics
of these star-forming regions, leading
to significant advances in our models of star formation
and evolution.
That's incredible.
It seems like Hubble has touched on so many fundamental aspects
of astronomy.
What about our understanding of cosmic evolution?
How did Hubble contribute to that?
Well, one of Hubble's primary missions
was to observe the earliest galaxies in the universe, those
that formed just a few hundred million years
after the Big Bang.
Wow.
By capturing light from these distant objects,
Hubble helped us piece together a timeline
of cosmic evolution, showing how galaxies formed, evolved,
and interacted over billions of years.
So it's like Hubble gave us a glimpse into the universe's baby
pictures, showing us how it all began.
Precisely.
It revolutionized our understanding
of the early universe and provided a framework
for studying the grand narrative of cosmic evolution.
Wow.
It's shown us that the universe is not
static, but a dynamic and evolving entity.
That's just mind-blowing.
Hubble has accomplished so much, it's
hard to wrap my head around it all.
It makes you realize just how far we've
come in our understanding of the universe.
It's truly remarkable, isn't it?
And it's all thanks to the ingenuity and dedication
of countless scientists, engineers, and visionaries
who made Hubble a reality.
It really is.
And those breathtaking images it's captured,
they've inspired countless people around the world,
sparking a sense of wonder and curiosity about the cosmos.
It's definitely had that effect on me.
It's like they've opened a window into a realm
I could only dream of before.
Exactly.
And that sense of wonder and inspiration
is perhaps Hubble's most enduring legacy.
It's a reminder that there's still so much out there
to discover and that the pursuit of knowledge and understanding
is one of the most noble endeavors we can undertake.
Well said.
And as we transition into part three of our deep dive,
I'm curious to hear more about what the future holds
for space exploration and the search for answers
to those big cosmic questions.
I'm happy to share what I know.
The future of space exploration is
bright with new and even more ambitious missions planned.
It's an exciting time to be an astronomy enthusiast.
We're back for the final part of our deep dive
into the Hubble Space Telescope.
It has been quite a journey from those early hiccups
with the mirror to all the groundbreaking discoveries.
Hubble has shown us the universe like we've never seen it before.
It really has.
Before we wrap up, though, I wanted
to touch on something we haven't explicitly talked about yet.
It's about the human element.
Oh, yeah, for sure.
Beyond the technology itself are all the people
that made Hubble possible.
The scientists, the engineers, the astronauts,
the technicians, countless people
who put their heart and soul into this amazing endeavor.
Exactly.
Think about it.
Designing, building, launching, and then
maintaining a telescope in space for over three decades.
Incredible.
And then there was that daring repair mission in 1993,
sending astronauts to fix a telescope in orbit.
Talk about bravery.
It really speaks to our ingenuity and our dedication
to exploring the universe.
For sure.
And there's an art to it, too, don't you think?
Oh, absolutely.
Processing those Hubble images, finding that balance
between science and aesthetics.
Right.
It's what brings those distant wonders to life.
Yeah, you're right.
Those images aren't just data points.
They're works of art that evoke a sense of awe and wonder.
They've inspired so many people.
They really have.
It's incredible how a single scientific instrument
can impact culture so much.
I know.
It is.
It really shows our curiosity and our desire
to find our place in this vast cosmos.
Hubble has become a symbol, then.
Yeah, I think so.
Of human exploration collaboration,
our shared quest for knowledge.
Beautifully put.
So as we wrap up, I want to leave our listeners thinking
about what's next for space telescopes
and exploring the universe, what's in store.
Oh, the future is incredibly exciting.
Like we discussed earlier, the James Webb Space Telescope
is already making waves with discoveries
about the early universe.
And there are so many other ambitious missions
in the works.
The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, for one.
Yeah.
It'll be surveying huge portions of the sky
and searching for exoplanets.
Awesome.
We really are living in a golden age of astronomy.
We are.
There's never been a better time to be stargazing.
That's fantastic to hear.
It sounds like we're on the cusp of even more amazing
discoveries.
For our listeners out there who are feeling inspired
by Hubble's legacy, what advice would you give them?
Never stop exploring.
There's a whole universe out there waiting to be discovered.
Read books, watch documentaries, visit a planetarium
or an observatory.
Connect with other space enthusiasts.
Great advice.
And most importantly, never lose that sense of wonder
and curiosity about space that Hubble has shown us.
Couldn't agree more.
Yeah.
And you know what?
If you're looking for a place to start your cosmic journey,
check out our YouTube channel.
Oh, yes.
We have so many videos about Hubble, other space telescopes,
and tons of cool astronomical stuff.
And of course, don't forget to follow and subscribe
to Cosmos in a pod for more deep dives into the universe.
We'll be back soon with more stories from the cosmos.
That's right.
Until next time, keep looking up, keep exploring,
and never stop asking questions about the universe around us.
Keep wondering.