Space telescopes are instruments designed to observe objects beyond our planet’s atmosphere. They are placed into orbit around the Earth or other celestial bodies to obtain a clearer view of the universe.
Types of Space Telescopes
Several types of space telescopes exist, each specializing in different areas of astronomy. Some of the notable ones are:
Hubble Space Telescope: launched in 1990, the Hubble has helped scientists learn more about the universe’s age, evolution, and composition, among other things.
Chandra X-Ray Observatory: designed to detect X-rays from high-energy regions in the universe, such as black holes, galaxy clusters, and supernova remnants.
Spitzer Space Telescope: used to observe infrared radiation emitted by objects in the universe, such as star nurseries, exoplanets, and comets.
Kepler Space Telescope: designed to detect exoplanets, Kepler has discovered thousands of new planets orbiting other stars in our galaxy.
Importance of Space Telescopes
Space telescopes have revolutionized our understanding of the universe. They can detect objects that are too faint or obscured to see from Earth and provide much higher resolution images than ground-based telescopes.Furthermore, space telescopes are not affected by atmospheric distortion, which can blur the images obtained by ground-based telescopes. Also, they can observe in wavelengths that are inaccessible to Earth-based telescopes, such as ultraviolet and X-rays.
Future of Space Telescopes
Several space telescopes are currently under development or scheduled for launch in the coming years, such as:
James Webb Space Telescope: set to launch in 2021, the Webb telescope is a joint venture between NASA, the European Space Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency. It will study the universe’s first galaxies, stars, and planets, as well as the origins of life.
Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST): slated for launch in the mid-2020s, WFIRST will study dark energy and dark matter, detect exoplanets, and image galaxies, among other things.
Space telescopes have come a long way since the launch of the Hubble in 1990. With each new instrument, we are expanding our knowledge of the universe and our place within it.