Hubble's orbit outside the distortion of Earth's atmosphere allows it to capture extremely high-resolution images with substantially lower background light than ground-based telescopes. Hubble features a 2.4 m (7 ft 10 in) mirror, and its five main instruments observe in the ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) selects Hubble's targets and processes the resulting data, while the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) controls the spacecraft. The Hubble telescope is named after astronomer Edwin Hubble and is one of NASA's Great Observatories. It was not the first space telescope, but it is one of the largest and most versatile, renowned both as a vital research tool and as a public relations boon for astronomy. The Hubble Space Telescope (often referred to as HST or Hubble) is a space telescope that was launched into low Earth orbit in 1990 and remains in operation. Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer Near-infrared, visible light, ultraviolet Seen in orbit from the departing Space Shuttle Atlantis in 2009, flying Servicing Mission 4 ( STS-125), the fifth and final Hubble mission.ģ2 years, 11 months and 26 days (ongoing)

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