Environmental Graffiti

Gazing into the Limits of the Universe

Astronomers have seen farther back in time and identified the earliest and youngest galactic object that can be observed in our universe. It is a galactic cluster, 10.2 billion years distant. We observe these galaxies as they were when the universe was only a quarter of its present age. This awe-inspiring discovery lies at the limit of what we will ever be are able to 'see' in the universe. Incredible!

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The Hubble Telescope’s Final Mission

Hubble's last Service Mission was an astounding success. Instruments and insulation blanket were repaired and upgraded, and new capability was added to this truly exceptional orbiting observatory. Hubble Space Telescope, whose importance rivals that of the first optical telescope made by Galileo, will continue to probe the mysteries of the universe through 2013. Strap yourself in for a blow-by-blow account of what Service Mission 4 and what it achieved.

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A Brief Glimpse into the Extraordinary Eye of the Hubble Telescope

Conceived in the 1970s and built amidst controversy and an ever increasing budget, the Hubble Space Telescope was launched in 1990. Despite every difficulty, five Service Missions have rigorously maintained and upgraded Hubble. In a look at the legacy of Hubble, we relive those missions, assured of extraordinary contributions to our understanding of the near and very distant, early universe through 2013.

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Massive Explosion a Universe Far Far Away

The most massive explosion ever recorded anywhere in the universe, occurred sometime after September 15, 2008. 12.2 billion light years from earth, a super massive star exploded and then possibly imploded to a black hole. Incredibly intense gamma ray radiation was released, traveled across space and time to be recorded by the GLAST research satellite.

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