Overview

From the age of the universe to the existence of black holes and the discovery of new galaxies, the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is providing a multitude of data for astronomers eager to understand the cosmos. While the telescope is providing images and data about deep-space objects, stellar systems, and other curiosities, it actually travels no farther than 380 miles (612 km) from Earth. A cooperative program of the European Space Agency and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Hubble Space Telescope is an orbiting observatory, revolving around the Earth once every 93 minutes. It is able to collect data unavailable to Earth-based observatories, because the HST's location is unhampered by distortion from our planet's atmosphere. Since its 1990 deployment, the telescope has collected information and images that are helping astronomers generate a better picture...