ESA Science & Technology: Hubble

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The Hubble Space Telescope is a joint ESA/NASA project and was launched in 1990 by the Space Shuttle mission STS-31 into a low-Earth orbit 600 km above the ground. During its lifetime Hubble has become one of the most important science projects ever.

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BUFFALO charges towards the earliest galaxies [heic1816] 13 September 2018 The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has started a new mission to shed light on the evolution of the earliest galaxies in the Universe. The BUFFALO survey will observe six massive galaxy clusters and their surroundings. The first observations show the galaxy cluster Abell 370 and a host of magnified, gravitationally lensed galaxies around it. Read more

Hubble observes energetic lightshow at Saturn's north pole [heic1815] 30 August 2018 Astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope have taken a series of spectacular images featuring the fluttering auroras at the north pole of Saturn. The observations were taken in ultraviolet light and the resulting images provide astronomers with the most comprehensive picture so far of Saturn's northern aurora. Read more

New family photos of Mars and Saturn from Hubble [heic1814] 26 July 2018 In summer 2018 the planets Mars and Saturn are, one after the other, in opposition to Earth. During this event the planets are relatively close to Earth, allowing astronomers to observe them in greater detail. Hubble took advantage of this preferred configuration and imaged both planets to continue its long-standing observation of the outer planets in the Solar System. Read more

Hubble sees 'Oumuamua getting a boost - New results indicate interstellar nomad is a comet [heic1813] 27 June 2018 'Oumuamua, the first interstellar object discovered in the Solar System, is moving away from the Sun faster than expected. This anomalous behaviour was detected using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope in cooperation with ground-based telescopes. Read more

Hubble proves Einstein correct on galactic scales [heic1812] 21 June 2018 An international team of astronomers using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope and the European Southern Observatory's Very Large Telescope has made the most precise test of general relativity yet outside our Milky Way. Read more

Cosmic collision lights up the darkness [heic1811] 31 May 2018 Though it resembles a peaceful rose swirling in the darkness of the cosmos, NGC 3256 is actually the site of a violent clash. This distorted galaxy is the relic of a collision between two spiral galaxies, estimated to have occurred 500 million years ago. Read more

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