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CNN.COM - Space


Tue | Apr. 30, 2002
NEW ACS CAMERA FUFILL'S POTENTIAL:
FIRST IMAGES RELEASED
Cone NebulaCLICK HERE FOR IMAGES
AND MORE DETAIL

(CNN) -- Boasting a tenfold increase in optical capacity, the revitalized Hubble Space Telescope is taking breathtakingly clear pictures of the universe that should soon usher in a flurry of discoveries, according to astronomers.

On Tuesday 4/30, elated scientists unveiled the first images taken by Hubble since space shuttle astronauts replaced the main camera on the orbiting observatory in March. The photo samples displayed in unparalleled clarity thousands of features overlooked by the previous camera, including everything from galactic building blocks to extremely distant galaxies to galaxies weathering chaotic collisions with their neighbors.

More new Hubble pix NASA's David Leckrone called the pictures taken by Hubble's new Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) "remarkable, breathtaking. They're everything we expected and more."

Likewise, Hubble colleague Holland Ford said the test pictures were among the best ever of the distant universe. The Mice galaxies could offer insight into the future of our own Milky Way.

"ACS will allow us to push back the frontier of the early universe. We will be able to enter the 'twilight zone' period when galaxies were just beginning to form out of the blackness following the cooling of the universe from the Big Bang," Ford said in a statement.

Among the cosmic portraits: A dusty nebula that looks like a red volcano, a nebulous cloud dripping with a rich palette of colors, a turbulent galaxy that resembles a tadpole, and two spiral galaxies dubbed "the Mice." The colliding pair could offer a glimpse into the future of our own Milky Way, which astronomers predict will bump into the nearby Andromeda galaxy in several billion years.

Scientists reported Tuesday that other new systems on the upgraded Hubble have performed well. A high-tech cooling system is working and should soon revive an infrared camera that has been broken since 1998. The first images could be released in June.


NASA Headquarters, Washington DC
Hubble Space Telescope
RELEASE: N02-33


Thur | Apr. 25, 2002
FIRST IMAGES FROM HUBBLE'S NEW CAMERA
TO BE RELEASED APRIL 30
The first spectacular images from the newly installed Advanced Camera for Surveys on NASA's Hubble Space Telescope will be released at a press briefing Tuesday, April 30, 2002, at 1 p.m. EDT. The new camera was installed on Hubble by shuttle astronauts during the successful servicing mission in March, designated STS-109. The panoramic images dramatically demonstrate Hubble's increased ability to peer more deeply into the universe to make profound new discoveries.

Panelists will be:
- Dr. Ed Weiler, Associate Administrator for
   Space Science, NASA Headquarters, Washington
- Dr. John Grunsfeld, STS-109 Astronaut and
   Payload Commander
- Dr. Holland Ford, Principal Investigator, Advanced
   Camera for Surveys, Johns Hopkins University, Balt
- Dr. Dave Leckrone, Hubble Project Scientist,
   Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.
- Preston Burch, Hubble Project Manager,
   Goddard Space Flight Center

The briefing will originate from the James E. Webb Auditorium at NASA Headquarters, 300 E St., SW, Washington, and will be carried live on NASA TV with two-way question-and-answer capability for reporters covering the event from participating NASA centers.

NASA Television is broadcast on the GE2 satellite, Transponder 9C, at 85 degrees West longitude, frequency 3880.0 MHz, audio 6.8 MHz. Audio of the broadcast will be available on voice circuit at the NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Fla., on 321/867-1220.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH NASA TV ON THE WEB.

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