Hubble Telescope celebrates its 34th birthday with many impressive records

The Hubble Space Telescope is considered a symbol of modern astronomy. Recently, on April 24, this famous glasses turned 34 years old. To celebrate its birthday, Hubble sent back to Earth a breathtaking image of the Little Dumbbell nebula , also known as Messier 76 or NGC 650/651 , marking a fruitful and groundbreaking journey of cosmic exploration. new perspectives for the future.

The Little Dumbbell Nebula is located about 3,400 light-years from Earth in the northernmost constellation Perseus. Although not as sharp and sensitive to faint infrared signals as the James Webb telescope, Hubble can still take beautiful photos, such as the latest image of the Little Dumbbell nebula.

Beautiful image of the Little Dumbbell nebula captured by Hubble.

Journey to explore the universe

Launched in 1990, Hubble was the most powerful telescope ever built and ushered in a new era for astronomy. During the past 34 years, Hubble has made more than 53,000 observations, collected a huge trove of data about the universe, contributed to decoding many mysteries and brought about breakthrough discoveries.

Hubble has given humanity a more detailed look at distant galaxies, star formation and evolution, planetary collisions, and even the atmospheres of exoplanets. Sun. Spectacular images from Hubble have inspired millions of people around the world and sparked a passion for space exploration.

Impressive record

During 34 years of operation, Hubble has owned many impressive records such as:

1. The oldest operating telescope in space.
2. Collect the greatest amount of data from a single telescope.
3. Contributed to more than 44,000 scientific articles.

Although it has far exceeded its original expected lifespan, Hubble is still operating efficiently and is an invaluable research tool for astronomers. However, this telescope is facing some challenges.

Accordingly, the Hubble telescope ran out of spare parts after its last maintenance in 2009. The orbit of the telescope is also gradually lowering, possibly causing it to fall into the Earth's atmosphere in the future.

NASA is working to extend the life of Hubble and ensure it continues to operate for many years to come. Some plans under consideration include launching a refueling satellite to raise Hubble's orbit, and performing an additional maintenance mission to replace key parts. And develop a new generation of space telescopes to succeed Hubble.

The Hubble Space Telescope has left a deep mark in the history of science and is the pride of mankind. With conservation efforts and new development plans, Hubble promises to continue to bring new discoveries and inspire future generations.