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Supernova caught by The Hubble Telescope
Posted: Sun Sep 05, 2004 9:43 pm
by Lyion
Posted: Sun Sep 05, 2004 11:41 pm
by vonkaar
We see novas all the time =p. There is a whole branch of amateur astronomy dedicated to finding new ones. Some of the more recent discoveries with novas are the more peculiar ones... 'quick' novas, single-nova binary star... there was one recent nova from a star behind a super-dense dust-cloud... it illuminated the whole posterior and made for some amazing pictures.
They aren't going to decommision Hubble per se... They are simply going to stop servicing it. Soo... when it dies, it dies. The Euro space agency already has a 'better' optical telescope in the works and NASA's new optical space-telescope will be up in 2012. Most of the cutting-edge science is being done by the other NASA space-telescopes anyway... (3? uh... X-Ray, Radio, Infrared... ?microwave? 4? bleh)Hubble's greatest contribution was in funding. The beautiful, crowd-pleasing pictures that were only possible from a space-telescope (at the time) has helped to keep NASA afloat in these recent 'science-hating' administrations.
New adaptive optics, cooling technologies and expanded mirror correction technologies have allowed the cutting-edge ground-based telescopes to take pictures that easily rival the best Hubble has taken. The Keck, VLT, Subaru and McDonal observatories are good places to start. This months' Astronomy has a large selection devoted to the Canadian-French telescope on Mauna-Kei... they are the leaders in high-res photography... Go buy it. You'll see some of the most beautiful imagery that God(me) ever created.
Posted: Mon Sep 06, 2004 1:23 pm
by Lyion
vonkaar wrote: The Euro space agency already has a 'better' optical telescope in the works and NASA's new optical space-telescope will be up in 2012. Most of the cutting-edge science is being done by the other NASA space-telescopes anyway... (3? uh... X-Ray, Radio, Infrared... ?microwave? 4? bleh)Hubble's greatest contribution was in funding. The beautiful, crowd-pleasing pictures that were only possible from a space-telescope (at the time) has helped to keep NASA afloat in these recent 'science-hating' administrations.
New adaptive optics, cooling technologies and expanded mirror correction technologies have allowed the cutting-edge ground-based telescopes to take pictures that easily rival the best Hubble has taken. The Keck, VLT, Subaru and McDonal observatories are good places to start. This months' Astronomy has a large selection devoted to the Canadian-French telescope on Mauna-Kei... they are the leaders in high-res photography... Go buy it. You'll see some of the most beautiful imagery that God(me) ever created.
True enough, but I love the eye candy, and in that regards Hubble delivers.
I'll believe when I see it, in regards to the Euro Telescope.
Good info, though, Vonk. Thanks.
Posted: Mon Sep 06, 2004 4:10 pm
by vonkaar
I didn't mean to downplay the 'eye candy'. If the HST's ONLY contribution to the world were the pretty pictures, it STILL would have been money well spent. In 50 years, I bet you'll hear people say that the Hubble project kept NASA alive through the 90s.
Posted: Mon Sep 06, 2004 9:03 pm
by Lyion
vonkaar wrote:I didn't mean to downplay the 'eye candy'. If the HST's ONLY contribution to the world were the pretty pictures, it STILL would have been money well spent. In 50 years, I bet you'll hear people say that the Hubble project kept NASA alive through the 90s.
Given the two shuttle fiasco's over the last 20 years, NASA needs all the good press and good PR vehicles it has.
I was a NASA fanboi as a kid, and while I don't follow things like I did, I still want us to keep pushing to the stars, as it really is everything that is good about our country, while ignoring the political bullshit.