Hubblecast 19 Special: Bigger is better

In their quest for ever-fainter objects and finer detail, astronomers have always demanded bigger telescopes. Scientific vision, technical nerve and personal perseverance led to the giant observatories of the early 20th century. Located on remote peaks and protected beneath majestic domes, these awe-inspiring instruments have revealed an expanding and evolving Universe, populated by a stunning variety of galaxies and nuclear powered stars that produced the elements in our bodies. A few decades ago the five metre Hale Telescope on Palomar Mountain seemed to be the ultimate telescope. But was it?

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Credit:

ESA/Hubble (M. Kornmesser & L. L. Christensen)

Visual design & Editing: Martin Kornmesser

Animations: Martin Kornmesser & Luis Cal‡ada

Web Technical Support: Lars Holm Nielsen & Raquel Yumi Shida

Written by: Govert Schilling & Lars Lindberg Christensen

Host: Dr. J

Narration: Howard Cooper & Bob Fosbury

Cinematography: Peter Rixner

Music: movetwo

Footage and photos: Richard Dreiser; Alain Riazuelo; Dirk Bernhardt-Walther; jcookfisher Creative Commons Attribution 2.0; The Franklin Institute; Bill Miller; Huntington Library; EMILIO SEGRE VISUAL ARCHIVES / AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS / SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY; NASA: Courtesy of the University of Chicago; Pedro R‚, George Willis Ritchey; HALE OBSERVATORIES / SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY; Pedro R‚ and Whipple; ESA/INT/DSS2; HALE OBSERVATORIES / SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY; Creative Commons License Michael Richmond; NASA; DAN SCHECHTER / SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY; NASA/NCSA University of Illinois; Klaus Dolag (MPA, Garching; NASA, ESA and F. Summers (STScI); ESA/Hubble (M. Kornmesser & L. L. Christensen); CFHT (Jean-Charles Cuillandre), TWAN (Babak Tafreshi, Thad V'Soske); Tom Jarrett; Scott Kardel; ¸ 2002 R. Gendler, Photo by R. Gendler; ESO; Gemini Observatory; Keck Observatory.

Directed by: Lars Lindberg Christensen