Hubble was immediately beset with problems that prevented it from focusing correctly. Several service missions, most recently in December 1999, fixed the problems. Here are several recent images. Click an image to read more about it. Hubble is a satellite telescope in orbit around Earth.
Students can use the following SimLibrary activities to explore the basic principles involved.
Newton's Law of Universal Gravitation . Students investigate the impact of mass and distance on the gravitational pull that holds an orbiting satellite in position. Although the telescope presented in this activity is quite simple compared to Hubble, it introduces students to the use of lenses to enlarge distant objects. Students set a satellite in orbit around Earth and test Kepler's Third Law. Read about past and future servicing missions for Hubble.