They gather and record information about these faraway places through remote sensing. Although these remote sensing instruments never touch or even get close to the stars, they observe and record images, which allow scientists to learn more about them. These are some of the remote sensing equipment they use to gather information. Optical telescopes are extremely powerful telescopes that magnify images in space. The lens can be over 200 inches wide.
Radio telescopes work by picking up sounds.
They collect faint signals called radio waves from objects in space. This information is converted into images by computers. Satellites like the Hubbell Space Telescope have powerful telescopes mounted on them. As they orbit the earth or are sent on missions in deep space, they take pictures of objects in space and send them to scientists on earth. Space Stations and Unmanned Space Probes observe stars and planets and send information back to earth.