SPACE reports that following a “string of setbacks concerning one of its directional instruments, the Hubble Space Telescope will get back to its job of capturing deep space images soon enough, NASA says.” It all “began on Nov. 19, when one of the iconic observatory’s three gyroscopes (a trio that live on from an original set of six) began providing faulty readings.” In general, gyroscopes “are devices that use either circulating beams of light or rapidly spinning wheels to help scientists make sure an object is facing the direction they want it to face.” Incorrect gyroscope readings “on the Hubble Telescope, as you might imagine, can therefore drastically affect science measurements.” To image a specific spot “in deep space with this Earth-orbiting telescope, you’d have to make sure it’s actually facing that spot in deep space.”
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Tag: Hubble Space Telescope
NASA Working to Resolve Hubble Space Telescope Gyroscope Issue
SPACE reports NASA on Wednesday confirmed that the Hubble Space Telescope “automatically entered safe mode on Nov. 23.” The reason behind the interruption “lies with issues concerning one of the observatory’s gyroscopes.” Mission scientists said “that they’re working to resolve the issue and bring Hubble back on again.”
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NASA Releases Images from Hubble Space Telescope, Which Recently Resumed Operations
CBS News reports that on Monday, NASA released two new images from the Hubble Space Telescope – the first images released since the telescope resumed operations after fixing a computer anomaly. The two images, captured over the weekend, are of “a ‘rarely observed’ pair of colliding galaxies, and a large ‘unusual’ spiral galaxy, NASA announced. The spiral galaxy captured has three arms, while most galaxies of that kind have an even number.” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a statement, “I’m thrilled to see that Hubble has its eye back on the universe, once again capturing the kind of images that have intrigued and inspired us for decades.”
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