Space Telescopes
Image courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech
The Spitzer Space Telescope is placed in the
faring
on top of the Delta II rocket that carried
the telescope into space.
Space telescopes have broadened and lengthened astronomers' views of space, and the data that these telescopes transmit back to Earth has helped scientists to better understand the universe, its creation, and its evolution. The technology of launching a telescope into orbit and away from the atmospheric disturbances allows for better resolution. A variety of telescopes rest high in space, using their technology to detect radiation at specific ranges along the electromagnetic spectrum. This provides yet another way for astronomers to gather and combine data for a more comprehensive view of space that they could not otherwise obtain from ground-based telescopes.
The construction and planned launch of the James Webb Space Telescope in 2018 shows that sending space telescopes into space remains quite an undertaking that requires a significant amount of time, resources, research, manpower, and hope in making new discoveries.