Hubble finds galactic gems

Asa Nielson, Orem UT — Thu, 21 Sep 2006 20:27:56 GMT

I think it insane for NASA not to service Hubble. Hubble has and will continue to provide more insight into the Universe for the dollar spent that most programs I have watched from afar. I can only hope NASA will use common sense.

Hubble finds galactic gems

pulin J. , Egg Harbor Twp, NJ. — Thu, 21 Sep 2006 22:27:55 GMT

i am not a scientist just a big reader of astronomy, if time and space is seen only in past just as this article says, why can't we see in future light as well? just a thought, all my life i have always read from astronomers light seen in past only ?
just a thought !

Hubble finds galactic gems

Kelleigh, St. Louis Mo — Fri, 22 Sep 2006 00:11:14 GMT

Hubble (and those mars rovers) continues to amaze me with the quality and quanitiy of the science being returned. This is a great example of science done right.

Hubble finds galactic gems

Chris Eldridge, Harrisburg PA — Fri, 22 Sep 2006 00:14:28 GMT

I guess I just always wondered if the light from these galaxies takes 15 billion years to get here than wouldn't the universe be 60 billion light years across by now... We look one way its 15. We look the other way its 15. Then we have to add an additional 15 (each side) for how far the galaxies have moved since they emitted this light, right? Maybe this infinite/curved space thing has me warped…

If there is a flood of these background newly forming galaxies, could they account for the supposed background radiation of the big bang? I know they used to think there was an X-ray background radiation until they saw individual sources of x-ray light, right?

Hey, we’re going to figure all this out yet…

Hubble finds galactic gems

Andy Rakaczky, Sun Valley, NV — Fri, 22 Sep 2006 00:58:53 GMT

This is neat! Just another reason that Hubble should stay in orbit and be maintained. It's the Rosetta Stone of astronomy.

Hubble finds galactic gems

Heather T., Seattle, WA — Fri, 22 Sep 2006 04:17:15 GMT

NASA should do everything in it's power to prolong the life of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). HST has opened our eyes to the very begining of the universe and the true beauty that is in nature. No other telescope has such a perfect platform in which to study space than HST. The cost of maintaining the telescope is fractional compared to the cost of the Defense Budget, Campeign Fund Raising and other mega government expenditures. I can think of few other things that I would want my tax dollars to fund other than the exploration and understanding of our universe. May NASA return to HST and may it continue to unlock the mysteries of our universe.

Hubble finds galactic gems

Wade Whitlock, Aberdeen, MD — Fri, 22 Sep 2006 12:47:44 GMT

Once more Hubble gives new views! Glorius! This is truly what the much misused word "Awesome" was ment for! The Rovers and Hubble have given more bang for the buck than anything NASA has done since the so-called Golden age. I'm not forgetting Spitzer or Chandra. They just don't get the play that HST does, though.

Is there any way to get the image without the boxes and numbers?

What a wonderful thing to look at when I get too disgusted with bush-league wars, incompetent space agencies and general human nonsense!

Hubble finds galactic gems

Alex Robinson, Dallas, TX — Fri, 22 Sep 2006 16:34:29 GMT

It's nice to see science in the forefront of american and gloabl advancement, sceince has been and will always be a leading factor in the advancement of the human race; space exploration undoubtedly will always be the frontier we strive to understand and learn from and hubble is paving the way. Great job NASA!!!

Hubble finds galactic gems

Chris Eldridge — Fri, 22 Sep 2006 16:47:54 GMT

Wade, Yes, I believe you can get the uncluttered image just by doing an image find on Hubble deep field. There were to deep fields and one really super deep field where Hubble just stared at a patch of sky for a week or two.

Oh, and don't for get the Europeans XXM Newton X-ray telescope! Its mirror has the surface area of a tennis court and is a lot more powerful (from what I know) than Chandra. It's hard to keep up but Europe is also building a very large Hubble like telescope for the near infrared.

Hubble finds galactic gems

Briggem Yount, San Diego, CA — Fri, 22 Sep 2006 17:25:54 GMT

I too was very upset at the proposal to abandon the Hubble, probably the single most important scientific tool ever built to study space. That is until I read that it takes up to $900 million to launch the shuttle for just one flight. If it costs nearly a billion to fix the Hubble, maybe it would be cheaper to build a new Hubble and send it to orbit on a Russian or European rocket.

Plus, NASA plans up to 20 more shuttle missions to complete the ISS space station. Uh, that's about $18 billion dollars. Can you imagine how many unmanned robotic missions to every corner of the solar system we could build with that much money? How about robotic missions to Mars to land and bring back samples? How about exploring what's under the ice on Europa? What a waste of money the space station and shuttle have been.

Hubble finds galactic gems

Mark S., Atlanta, GA — Fri, 22 Sep 2006 18:15:34 GMT

This magnificent tool is lasting far longer and giving more insights than it's creators ever thought it would. I am glad that they are actually pushing to extend it's life expectancy. Now, if they'll just get the next generation space telescope designed while learning from the mistakes we made with Hubble... think of what we would learn with it!!!!

Hubble finds galactic gems

Lee Steele — Fri, 22 Sep 2006 19:03:48 GMT

It would be tragic if NASA abandons Hubble. It's been a watershed. Stay tuned for GLAST - Gamma ray Large Array Space Telescope, due to be launched next year. http://glast.stanford.edu/

Hubble finds galactic gems

Chris Eldridge — Fri, 22 Sep 2006 19:25:05 GMT

Well put Briggem Yount! If someone told me it would cost $9,000 to repair my 15-year-old car (which I could replace entirely for $12,000) I think I'd rather buy a new one than fix the old! Hubble's great guys but lets keep some perspective. There is an even more powerful hubble being built and I am affraid (knowing how our congress is) that they'll say "well, we just fixed the hubble. You guys don't need a new telescope." Hey, it happens!

Hubble finds galactic gems

charles powell — Fri, 22 Sep 2006 22:40:55 GMT

The more we see from Hubble, the more it seems that the scope of space and the universe is undefinable, truly infinite and may well have always been. Space itself is a bigger mystery than our near universe. The deep space images from Hubble may be other universes not galaxies. Please don't abandon Hubble. Let's keep looking.

Hubble finds galactic gems

James Buchanan, Laurel, MD — Sat, 23 Sep 2006 22:43:10 GMT

The Hubble mission is on the list to fly now, tenatively pencilled in sometime in 2008. Its going to be the last one, so its going to be a busy one, they've got a LOT of work to do.

Hubble finds galactic gems

rick freeman, louisville, ky — Sun, 24 Sep 2006 05:08:42 GMT

I encourage everyone to write to Mike Griffin and/or Edward J. Weiler at NASA to encourage a Hubble mission. In 2003 Weiler responded to my letter supporting further Hubble servicing saying, "HST has indeed revolutionized our view of the cosmos . . ." I also agree with Mr. Yount regarding the ISS, the world's first low-earth-orbit white elephant. And the magnificent space ship/glider we call a 'shuttle' was over sold and has under performed. The 'shuttle' and ISS are incredible technical achievements; unfortuntely, they're less than useless.

Hubble finds galactic gems

chuck london canada — Sun, 24 Sep 2006 13:13:47 GMT

yes keep hubble going so it can scan for space rock hiting the earth i dont want one to hit me in the head

Hubble finds galactic gems

Robert Lackey, Colorado Springs, CO — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 01:19:20 GMT

Every time I see images from the HST and read about the science we have been able to obtain from it, I am thoroughly amazed and awestruck. If NASA were to make good on their plans to revitalize the HST It would be capable of performing for many years yet to come. Think of this... NASA puts the HST replacement in space with it's advanced features and then turns the HST over to Universities to help advance educational research in physics and astronomy. The potential impact on our educational institutions would be boggling. Hey, it's already bought and paid for, why not use it to help train the next generation of scientists? Food for thought!

Hubble finds galactic gems

Kat Nicholson, Tulsa, Okla — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 14:05:52 GMT

The images I've seen come back from Hubble leave me awestruck, amazed, and even humbled. The beauty and violence of the universe is captured brilliantly and open us up to new possibilites, new questions about our place in this vast blackness. I eagerly await each new set of pictures. And the insane plan to abandon the Hubble is just that - insane. Imagine how many young minds have been inspired with the images we have received!!! Whether we fix the old Hubble or build a new one, we MUST keep up this aspect of space exploration!!! The Hubble proves daily the oddities of the universe, and continues to show the universe is queerer than even the most brilliant minds can suppose!!!!! So either fix it or build a new, just DON'T eliminate our "eye on the universe"!!!! If the powers that be want to scrap anything it should be the ISS and the shuttle program!!!!!

Hubble finds galactic gems

Wade Whitlock, Aberdeen, Maryland — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 16:52:06 GMT

Thanks to Chris Eldridge! I had already done a side trip to the Hubble site and turned up the image with a short search. Before you all pile onto the STS (Shuttle) too hard, do you think they could put the Hubble up with the latest spam in a can, excuse me "The Crew Exploration Vehicle", or do a repair mission with it? Not too bloody likely! There has always been an argument about having somebody somewhere. The military version is having aircraft, or ships, perform everything and claim to control the ground. Any infantry soldier or Marine (I am one) will tell you that you don't have the objective until somebody puts his boots on it and stays there. Apollo was only a reconnaissance mission or 6. We can send all the robots we want, but they can do only what they are designed to do and can't be driven directly even as far away as the moon. Try driving your car with a three second delay built into the control system! People are, unfortunately, delicate. They are demanding special conditions and mountains of consumables. They are also adaptable and great observers. On top of that, we can't claim anything but good old Terra, because that is the only place in the whole damned solar system with boots on it! So, until we can say somebody is currently there to stay we have exactly one basket for our eggs (and sperm!). At least pending an Effram Cockran!

Hubble finds galactic gems

John Doe — Tue, 26 Sep 2006 18:53:43 GMT

Hey, Where did all this stuff in space originally come from?

Hubble finds galactic gems

TurkeyBurgers Goldsboro North Carolina — Wed, 27 Sep 2006 07:52:00 GMT

Keep making them bigger till you find the farthest galaxy...or maybe you wont ...you might just keep finding galaxies farther and farther away...and keep kicking the age of the universe up every time you find a farther galaxy.