The poor Hubble telescope has become a bit of a geriatric since the younger, higher-res James Webb Space Telescope started its mission. In its heyday it delivered images of space in never-before-seen quality, offering scientists and researchers wisdom than ever before on how the universe came to be. <\/p>\n
Almost 30 years after its launch, the Hubble telescope orbits much closer to Earth but its still delivering photos from Space - albeit lower res than the mighty JWST. <\/p>\n
In the latest image, the NGC 3384 galaxy is visible and although the slightly blurred image isnt as jaw-dropping as other images from space, it still holds importance. The so-called elliptical galaxy is rounded in shape, shows few visible features and rarely shows recent start formations. These galaxies are dominated by old, aging red-hued stars unlike the Milky Way (a spiral galaxy) which is bursting with populations of young blue stars that create the spiral arms around its bright core. <\/p>\n
Whats interesting about this image is that at its center there appears to be a disc-like structure you would normally expect to see in a spiral galaxy, such as the Milky Way. A central bar is thought to funnel material through and around a galaxys core helping to maintain and fuel activities and processes that occur. <\/p>\n
In recent years, the Hubble Telescope has had to undergo maintenance so it's kept in a low orbit close to Earth so that it is safe and accessible for astronauts to repair and upgrade its components. To this day, the Hubble orbits the Earth at 17,000mph\/27,000 kph, sees 15 sunrises every day and in its lifetime has traveled over 4 billion miles. The Hubble telescope may have been superseded by the JWST but its contribution to our understanding of space has been monumental. <\/p>\n
As the Hubble Telescope edges closer to retirement, it will continue to photograph space, informing astronomers and researchers of the secrets of the universe. <\/p>\n
Check out the best telescopes for astrophotography, and see our guide to all the best lenses for astrophotography <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The rest is here: The poor Hubble telescope has become a bit of a geriatric since the younger, higher-res James Webb Space Telescope started its mission. Continue reading
\nOld age is the one thing the Hubble telescope and its latest photo have in common - Digital Camera World<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"