Announcements

28 October 2018: The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope returned to normal operations late Friday, 26 October, and completed its first science observations on Saturday, 27 October. The observations were of the distant, star-forming galaxy DSF2237B-1-IR and were taken in infrared wavelengths with the Wide Field Camera 3. The return to conducting science comes after successfully recovering a backup gyroscope that had replaced a failed one three weeks earlier. One of Hubble’s gyroscope failed on 5 October, and the spacecraft’s operations team activated a backup gyroscope the next day. However, the backup incorrectly returned rotation rates that were far in excess of the actual rates. Last week the operations team commanded Hubble to perform numerous maneuvers and switched the gyroscope between different operational modes, which successfully cleared what was believed to be blockage between components inside the gyroscope that produced the excessively high rate values. Next, the team monitored and tested the gyroscope with …

24 October 2018: Over the last week, NASA has made great strides towards solving the problem with a backup gyroscope on the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. The backup gyroscope was turned on after the spacecraft entered safe mode following a gyroscope failure on Friday, 5 October. However, when it was turned on the backup gyroscope incorrectly returned extremely high rotation rates. These high rotation rates have since reduced and are now within the expected range. Additional tests will be performed to ensure Hubble can return to science operations using this gyroscope. A wheel inside the gyroscope spins at a constant rate of 19 200 revolutions per minute. This wheel is mounted in a sealed cylinder, called a float, which is suspended in a thick fluid. Electricity is carried to the motor by thin wires, approximately the size of a human hair, that are immersed in the fluid. Electronics within the gyroscope detect very …

17 October 2018: NASA continues to work toward resuming science operations of the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope after the spacecraft entered safe mode due to a failed gyroscope on Friday 5 October (ann1811). Following the gyroscope failure, the Hubble operations team turned on a backup gyroscope on the spacecraft. However, that gyroscope did not perform as expected, reporting rotation rates that are orders of magnitude higher than they actually are. Since then tests were conducted to assess the condition of that backup gyroscope. The tests showed that the gyroscope is properly tracking Hubble’s movement, but the rates reported are consistently higher than the true rates. When Hubble turns across the sky from one target to the next, the gyroscopes are put into a coarser (high) mode. In this high mode it may be possible to subtract out a consistent large offset to get an accurate reading. However, after the large turns are over, …

9 October 2018: NASA is working to resume science operations of the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope after the spacecraft entered safe mode on Saturday 6 October, shortly after midnight CEST. Hubble’s instruments still are fully operational and are expected to produce excellent science for years to come. Hubble entered safe mode after one of the three gyroscopes (gyros) actively being used to point and steady the telescope failed. Safe mode puts the telescope into a stable configuration until ground control can correct the issue and return the mission to normal operation. Built with multiple redundancies, Hubble had six new gyros installed during Servicing Mission 4 in 2009. Hubble usually uses three gyros at a time for maximum efficiency, but can continue to make scientific observations with just one. The gyro that failed had been exhibiting end-of-life behaviour for approximately a year, and its failure was not unexpected; two other gyros of the same …

8 October 2018: Nancy Roman, talented astronomer, driven spokesperson and lifelong champion for women in science, is often called “the mother of the Hubble Space Telescope” . In 1961, Nancy became the first Chief of Astronomy in the Office of Space Science at NASA, where her work with scientists, engineers and financial supporters led to the successful launches of many orbiting observatories, including the utterly impressive NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. This new Hubblecast episode features the story of Nancy Roman and her role in forging the path of one of the greatest scientific instruments in modern history. You can subscribe to the Hubblecasts in iTunes, receive future episodes on YouTube, or follow us on Vimeo. Many other Hubblecast episodes are also available on the Hubblecast website. Find out how to view and contribute subtitles for the Hubblecast in multiple languages, or translate this video on YouTube.

25 September 2018: A selection from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope’s archive of more than 4500 high definition images, outstanding Pictures of the Week, and stunning Photo Releases will now be published on Instagram, as ESA/Hubble joins the popular network. We invite you to follow @HubbleESA to revel in spectacular images captured by Hubble and to discover the amazing stories of the science it performs. You can also follow Hubble on its other established social media channels, including Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube. More Information The Hubble Space Telescope is a project of international cooperation between ESA and NASA.

27 June 2018: Astronomers have found that ‘Oumuamua, the first interstellar object discovered in the Solar System, is moving away from the Sun faster than expected. Using data from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope and from ground-based telescopes, a team of researchers concluded that ‘Oumuamua is most likely outgassing — suggesting that this enigmatic interstellar nomad is a peculiar comet rather than an asteroid. You can subscribe to the Hubblecasts in iTunes, receive future episodes on YouTube or follow us on Vimeo. Many other Hubblecast episodes are also available. Find out how to view and contribute subtitles for the Hubblecast in multiple languages, or translate this video on YouTube.

20 June 2018: On Tuesday, 19 June 2018, the Hubble travelling exhibition Our Place in Space was launched in Vienna. The exhibition explores the question of how and where in the Universe we perceive ourselves and what our future should bring. What are we capable of? We have a long legacy of asking ourselves these questions in both the sciences and in the arts. Now, using spectacular images from the NASA/ESA Hubble Space telescope and the work of austrian artists inspired by these images, the latest installation of Our Place in Space tries to answer these questions. The opening ceremony, attended by 400 invited guests, began with an introduction by the director of the Natural History Museum Vienna, Prof. Dr. Christian Köberl, as well as by Hans Hoffer, President of GLOBART and the director of the University of Applied Arts, Dr. Gerald Bast. A talk about the Hubble Space Telescope was given by …

30 May 2018: For more than 28 years, the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has been expanding our cosmic horizons. Not only has Hubble has revealed and shared the beauty, wonder, and complexity of the Universe, but it has also brought astronomy to the public eye, greatly impacting our culture, society, and art. In February 2017, the travelling exhibition Our Place in Space premiered in the Istituto Veneto di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti, Palazzo Cavalli Franchetti, on the banks of the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy. Now, it is confirmed that Our Place in Space will be brought to Vienna, Austria, for the General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union. From 19 June to 4 November 2018 it will be on display at the Natural History Museum Vienna. By seamlessly integrating perspectives from both artists and astronomers, Our Place in Space inspires visitors to think about how humanity fits into the grand scheme of …

3 May 2018: For almost 28 years, the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has not only revealed the beauty, wonder, and complexity of the Universe, but it has also brought astronomy to the public, greatly impacting our culture, society, and art. In February 2017, the travelling exhibition Our Place in Space premiered in the Istituto Veneto di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti, Palazzo Cavalli Franchetti, on the banks of the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy. It was a stellar success, attracting 30 000 visitors over the course of two months. It was then shown in the medieval town of Chiavenna, Italy. The next stop of Our Place in Space will be in the ESO Supernova Planetarium & Visitor Centre located in Garching, near Munich, where it will be on display starting from 18 May 2018. Our Place in Space will be the first temporary exhibition on display at the ESO Supernova, in addition to the …

19 April 2018: On 24 April 1990, Hubble was launched into space. To celebrate its 28th year in orbit, some of Hubble’s precious observation time was used to observe the colourful Lagoon Nebula. One of only two star-forming nebulae visible to the unaided eye, this spectacular stellar nursery is not quite the tranquil landscape its name suggests. This new Hubblecast explores the image in more detail and shows some of the delicate features of this cosmic lagoon. You can subscribe to the Hubblecasts in iTunes, receive future episodes on YouTube or follow us on Vimeo. Many other Hubblecast episodes are also available. Find out how to view and contribute subtitles for the Hubblecast in multiple languages, or translate this video on YouTube.

2 April 2018: Astronomers have used Hubble to make an incredible discovery — they have observed the most distant star ever seen. The bright blue star existed only 4.4 billion years after the Big Bang. This incredible distant star allows astronomers to learn more about the formation and evolution of stars in the early Universe. You can subscribe to the Hubblecasts in iTunes, receive future episodes on YouTube or follow us on Vimeo. Many other Hubblecast episodes are also available. Find out how to view and contribute subtitles for the Hubblecast in multiple languages, or translate this video on YouTube.

14 February 2018: Such a cosmic beauty is sure to get some admirers this Valentine's Day. While distant, and seemingly mysterious, this beautiful spiral galaxy is providing astronomers with lots of clues about its character and internal composition — just with the colours it emits.Whereas our eyes detect only visible light, Hubble has a variety of instruments on board that detect a wide range of different wavelengths. This means that Hubble is able to observe galaxies with light from different parts of the spectrum, revealing features that would otherwise remain hidden. What does it mean when a star emits lots of blue light? What if a region shines brightly in infrared light? This new Hubblecast episode examines what Hubble can tell us about the beautiful spiral galaxy NGC 3344.

9 February 2018: The 23rd issue of the Communicating Astronomy with the Public journal is out now! In this issue you will find papers on the methodology of applying experimental psychology to astronomy studies, using food to conduct astronomy outreach and language issues faced when conducting an international campaign. The latest issue will also look in the plans for the IAU’s 100th anniversary in 2019. All of this, and more, is featured in this free, peer-reviewed journal for astronomy communicators — available now for download.

21 December 2017: The December issue of the ESA/Hubble/JWST Science Newsletter is now available. Within the newsletter you can find articles about Søren Larsen’s experience as an ESA representative on the Space Telescope User’s Committee (STUC), a call for early release observations with the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope, an analysis of the hot astronomical topics with respect to the publishing of papers using Hubble data, and a brief report by ESA/JWST Project Scientist Pierre Ferruit about the European contribution to James Webb and the next major milestones. In other exciting news, ESA/Hubble Project Scientist Antonella Nota announces her new additional role as a Project Scientist for James Webb. One of the first direct consequences is that this Hubble Science Newsletter will bring you news about James Webb as well. The newsletter also contains a short video with the best images from Hubble released by ESA in 2017. The ESA/Hubble/JWST Science Newsletter promotes …

19 December 2017: Many things in astronomy are very difficult to directly observe, like black holes, dark matter and planets orbiting distant stars. Astronomical timescales also present a problem as we cannot watch in real time as planets form or stars ignite — these processes often take millions of years. As such, a lot of what we know has been inferred from indirect observations, theory and computer models. It takes imagination and creativity, as well as a deep understanding of physics and astronomy, for artists like Luis Calçada to create the beautiful images that add to our ever-expanding knowledge of the Universe. We speak to Luis to find out about his work as a visual artist with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, what inspires him and how he got here. You can subscribe to the Hubblecasts in iTunes, receive future episodes on YouTube or follow us on Vimeo. Many other Hubblecast episodes are …

16 October 2017: For the first time, Hubble has observed the source of gravitational waves: the merging of two neutron stars. This merger created a visible counterpart known as a kilonova — an object first predicted by theory more than 30 ago. This event also provides the strongest evidence yet that short duration gamma-ray bursts are caused by mergers of neutron stars. These observations may help solve another long-standing question in astronomy: the origin of heavy chemical elements, like gold and platinum. In the merger of two neutron stars, the conditions appear just right for their production. You can subscribe to the Hubblecasts in iTunes, receive future episodes on YouTube or follow us on Vimeo. Many other Hubblecast episodes are also available. Find out how to view and contribute subtitles for the Hubblecast in multiple languages, or translate this video on YouTube.

11 October 2017: The atmosphere of an exoplanet can reveal a wealth of information, such as the planet’s temperature, its air pressure, and whether it is suitable for life. However, studying exoplanet atmospheres is one of the most challenging tasks in modern astronomy — and a challenge for Hubble too. This new episode of the Hubblecast describes how exoplanet atmospheres are analysed and what makes it such a challenge. You can subscribe to the Hubblecasts in iTunes, receive future episodes on YouTube or follow us on Vimeo. Many other Hubblecast episodes are also available. Find out how to view and contribute subtitles for the Hubblecast in multiple languages, or translate this video on YouTube.

26 September 2017: The 22nd issue of the Communicating Astronomy with the Public journal is out now! In this issue you will find articles exploring the value and challenges of communicating in venues we do not usually associate with science — our libraries and airport lounges — and what this can mean for outreach and diversifying our audience. The latest issue also highlights uses of 3D printing and virtual reality to bring people closer to large astronomical objects. All of this, and more, is featured in this free, peer-reviewed journal for astronomy communicators — available now for download.

28 June 2017: In February 2017 the Hubble travelling exhibition Our Place in Space was launched in Venice, Italy. In the exhibition both astronomers and artists present their own interpretations of where we are, where we belong, what our past might have been and what our future might look like, by using Hubble images, artworks and installations. Combining the different perspectives by bringing together art and science gives a unique, and more complete, view of the Universe we live in and the research, both in science and the arts, being done to understand it. This episode of the Hubblecast takes the viewer on a journey through the exhibition and presents both the art and the stunning Hubble images within it, and combines them with written comments left by visitors to the exhibitions. You can subscribe to the Hubblecasts in iTunes, receive future episodes on YouTube or follow us on Vimeo. Many other Hubblecast …