Introduction to the Hubble Space Telescope
The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is a space-based observatory orbiting Earth. Hubble observes the universe in multiple wavelengths of light, from ultraviolet to visible to near-infrared.
The Hubble Space Telescope’s launch in 1990 marked the beginning of a new era in humanity’s exploration of the universe. From above Earth’s obscuring atmosphere, Hubble can obtain extremely high-resolution images and detailed spectroscopic data of the cosmos, from our solar system to the distant, early universe. Scientists submit proposals to use Hubble through an open, peer-reviewed, anonymous competition.
Through the middle of the next decade, HST will remain the only space-based telescope providing spectroscopy and high-resolution imaging at ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared wavelengths. Since the James Webb Space Telescope launched in 2021, the two observatories have been working in tandem to push astronomy forward and pursue the boldest scientific questions of our time.
Using the Hubble Telescope
Observatory News
Resources
Press Releases
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Upcoming STScI Events
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Inter+Stellar: Harnessing the Intersection Between Stars and the Interstellar Medium
Historically, stars and the ISM in the nearby Universe have often been studied individually. However, this past decade of research has shown that the most exciting advances in each...
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Opening a New Frontier in Transient Science with the James Webb Space Telescope
Speaker: Justin Pierel (STScI) With the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), we have entered a new era of transient discovery and understanding. In a relatively short...
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The Mysterious Nature of Little Red Dots
One of the more unexpected discoveries from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is the emergence of a significant population of compact, high-redshift sources at z > 4 known as...
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HST Help Desk
Please contact the HST Help Desk with any questions.