Still, no one imagined that Hubble's photographs of deep space would be so utterly, jaw-droppingly beautiful or that the pictures would have a purely visceral appeal to an entire generation, making Hubble a household word synonymous with spectacular images of the cosmos.
Hubble - a joint project of NASA and the European Space Agency - orbits Earth 353 miles (569 km) above the planet's surface. Its position allows it to circle free of Earth's atmosphere, which distorts and blocks light from the cosmos. This gives Hubble a pristine view typically unmatchable by ground-based telescopes. If the man's eye was as sensitive as Hubble's, he could look from Islamabad and see the glow of a pair of fireflies in London. If the fireflies were six feet apart, he could resolve that there were two of them side by side. Hubble orbits Earth, moving at the speed of about five miles per second (8 km per second) - fast enough to travel from Chitral to Karachi in about three minutes. During the course of a year, Hubble circles Earth over 5,000 times. As the telescope whips around Earth once every 97 minutes, it collects light- much more light than human eyes can hope to capture on their own. Light that reveals everything from the nature of storms on Jupiter to some of the most distant galaxies in the universe.
Hubble's super vision has shown us places in the cosmos that no generation of humans before us has ever seen. The Hubble images have unveiled that beyond the starry sky we see on a clear night, there is another universe, an "undiscovered country" of discordant objects, violent explosions and cataclysmic collisions. Galaxies plow into one another; stars erupt from firestorms of gas and dust and light; newly forming stars shoot out saber like jets of gas as birth announcements to the universe. All this drama plays out against a pitch-black backdrop that is unimaginably infinite. A single Hubble snapshot can portray the universe as awesome, mysterious and breathtaking and, at the same time, chaotic, overwhelming and foreboding. The story that the Hubble tells about the universe knows no national, political or ideological boundaries. The images are so overpowering and humbling that they have touched people of all ages. These pictures are a reminder that we inhabit a tiny planet in a vast universe with many remaining unknowns.
Question 1: How are Hubble's photographs of deep space described in the passage, and what impact do they have on people?
Answer: Hubble's photographs of deep space are described as "utterly, jaw-droppingly beautiful," having a "visceral appeal" to an entire generation. They make Hubble a household word synonymous with spectacular images of the cosmos.
Question 2: What is Hubble's position in orbit around Earth, and why is it significant?
Answer: Hubble orbits Earth at a distance of 353 miles (569 km) above the planet's surface. This position allows it to circle free of Earth's atmosphere, which distorts and blocks light from the cosmos, providing a pristine view typically unmatchable by ground-based telescopes.
Question 3: How does the passage illustrate the sensitivity of Hubble's vision compared to the human eye?
Answer: The passage explains that if the human eye were as sensitive as Hubble's, it could see the glow of a pair of fireflies in London while looking from Islamabad. It further illustrates that Hubble could resolve that there were two fireflies six feet apart, showcasing its superior resolution capabilities.
Question 4: What is the speed of Hubble's orbit around Earth, and how does this affect its observational capabilities?
Answer: Hubble moves at a speed of about five miles per second (8 km per second) in its orbit around Earth. This fast speed allows it to collect much more light than human eyes can capture, enabling it to reveal details ranging from storms on Jupiter to the most distant galaxies in the universe.
Question 5: What does Hubble's super vision reveal about the cosmos, according to the passage?
Answer: Hubble's super vision reveals "an undiscovered country" of discordant objects, violent explosions, cataclysmic collisions, and newly forming stars. It shows galaxies plowing into one another, stars erupting from firestorms of gas and dust, and newly forming stars shooting out saber-like jets of gas.
Question 6: How do the Hubble images impact people of all ages, according to the passage?
Answer: The Hubble images are described as overpowering and humbling, touching people of all ages. They serve as a reminder of humanity's place in the universe, highlighting the vastness and unknowns of the cosmos.
