Introduction to the Hubble Space Telescope
HST is a space-based great observatory that observes at ultraviolet through near infrared wavelengths. High resolution imaging and wide-ranging spectroscopic capabilities enable forefront research across all domains of astrophysics. Time on HST is awarded through an open peer-reviewed competition.
The Hubble Space Telescope's launch in 1990 sped humanity to one of its greatest advances in that journey. Hubble is a telescope that orbits Earth. Its position above the atmosphere gives it a view of the universe that typically far surpasses that of ground-based telescopes.
Thirty-three years since launch, the Hubble Space Telescope continues its role at the forefront of astronomy, ranging from our own Solar System to the high-redshift universe.
Through the middle of the next decade, HST will remain the only space-based telescope providing spectroscopy and high-resolution imaging at UV, optical, and near-infrared wavelengths. With the launch of JWST in 2021, the bold science questions pursued with HST will be bolstered by the complementary capabilities of the two observatories.
Using the Hubble Telescope
Observatory News
Resources
Press Releases
View All HST Press Releases on Hubblesite.org
Upcoming STScI Events
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Mapping Feedback in Local Galaxies with HWO-enabling Technology: Adventures in Developing Efficient Extended Source Instruments for UV Missions
On the heels of the recommendations of the 2020 Decadal Survey, the astrophysics community is gearing up to work on the next great space mission – the Habitable Worlds Observatory...
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Exoplanet Characterization from JWST
We are now one full year into the era of JWST, NASA’s flagship observatory and the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope. Exoplanet characterization has historically been dominated...
