 |
|
|
NOTE:
THIS SITE WILL NO LONGER RECEIVE UPDATES.
For the latest on Hubble go to hubble.nasa.gov.
Thanks for the interest and support! |
|
Hubble Space Telescope
CNN.COM - Space
Tue
| Apr. 30, 2002
NEW ACS CAMERA FUFILL'S POTENTIAL:
FIRST IMAGES RELEASED
 CLICK
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.
|
|
|
|
|
>
