Hubble turns back on (slideshow)

September 9, 4:36 PMScience News ExaminerMeg Marquardt

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Credit: NASA

Hubble is finally awake once again. And already the images it is snapping rival the best space pictures ever taken. A handful of the best can be found in the slideshow at the end of the article.

The space telescope had been mostly dormant since the servicing mission in May. Now it is primed for another decade of research. The upgrades to Hubble include instruments that allow it to study the Universe across a broad spectrum of light, from ultraviolet to near-infrared. Scientists also hope to use some of the new equipment to determine the distribution of chemicals in space.

"This marks a new beginning for Hubble," said Ed Weiler, associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters. "The telescope was given an extreme makeover and is now significantly more powerful than ever — well equipped to last well into the next decade." [NASA]

Besides being more sensitive, the upgrades will also help speed the picture taking process. That the innovations are functioning at such a successful capacity helps to validate the latest servicing mission, which some thought may only marginally boost the telescope's capabilities.

Hubble's facelift will allow it to continue its mission for at least another decade. At that time, it is thought another, more powerful telescope, such as the James Webb Space Telescope, will take its place. Precisely what will happen to Hubble is unknown, though one option is to send it out deeper into space to see just what its miraculous technology can uncover.