That's because light from faraway galaxies takes millions to billions of years to reach Earth, providing astronomers with a record of how those objects appeared long ago. At 368 miles above our planet, the orbiting observatory is outside Earth's turbulent blanket of air that makes star images wiggle. Hubble can snap those sharper images while moving. Unlike terrestrial observatories, which are perched on mountain tops, Hubble doesn't stay put. Hubble also does what it's told.
Earthbound computers send detailed instructions, telling it where to point and which cameras to use.
Hubble has a fleet of other science instruments that covers a broad range of light, from ultraviolet to near infrared. These instruments allow Hubble to probe a galaxy's hottest stars and to peer far across space to study the evolution of galaxies.