Author Archives: jacksonhubble2904

Hypothetical Planets in the Kuiper Belt and Oort Clout

Posted on April 7, 2019 by jacksonhubble2904

               With all the data we have on the orbits of familiar objects of our solar system, some interesting hypothesis have been formed about large bodies within or beyond the Kuiper Belt. This method of discovery was used in the 1840s to discover Neptune by studying the orbit of Uranus and noticing then compensating for … Continue reading Hypothetical Planets in the Kuiper Belt and Oort Clout → Continue reading →

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Gravitational Lensing

Posted on March 13, 2019 by jacksonhubble2904

In Blog 2 I said I’d leave this subject for my next blog, so here it is on its own: what is gravitational lensing? As simply as I can explain it: Gravitational Lensing occurs when the mass of a large stellar group distorts light traveling from behind it towards the viewer. Because light is affected … Continue reading Gravitational Lensing → Continue reading →

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A Life in Orbit

Posted on March 13, 2019 by jacksonhubble2904

Existing near the vacuum of space poses unique instrumentation and life cycle challenges for the Hubble telescope. The sun’s radiation has the potential to corrupt electronic signals or damage components, so many parts must be shielded and redundant systems are required. Without atmospheric regulation, the temperature of an object in orbit such as the HST … Continue reading A Life in Orbit → Continue reading →

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Understanding Redshift

Posted on February 11, 2019 by jacksonhubble2904

My blog this spring is devoted to aspects of the Hubble telescope’s mission and operation. This submission, I hope to provide a basic understanding of redshift: the tendency of light’s wavelength to elongate as it travels through the universe. Hubble was launched to gain a better understanding of faraway stars that enjoyed prior obscurity from … Continue reading Understanding Redshift → Continue reading →

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Copernicus Does a Revolution

Posted on January 29, 2019 by jacksonhubble2904

Copernicus is known for challenging the established geocentric model that was integral to the catholic church’s perception of earth’s divine creation with his publication of The Revolutions (Of the Celestial Spheres). He set the stage for a better understanding of our place in the solar system, and soon after his death in 1543 the world … Continue reading Copernicus Does a Revolution → Continue reading →

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2200 Nanometers

Posted on January 21, 2019 by jacksonhubble2904

About 1/50th a hair’s width. That’s the size of the error which seriously set back the Hubble telescope. Perkin-Elmer diagnostics was tasked with grinding down the primary mirror, a 7.8 foot wide *almost* flat surface. The mirror’s curvature was determined by a reflective mirror array which bends a laser to precisely trace the surface’s desired … Continue reading 2200 Nanometers → Continue reading →

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About Hubble

Posted on January 15, 2019 by jacksonhubble2904

Well not the telescope, yet, but I’ll explain the blog name, tag, and url in my first formal post. But yes, I share my surname with the namesake of one of our most famous satellites, so I might as well go by it on the blog. I’m a senior electrical engineering major and I wanted … Continue reading About Hubble → Continue reading →

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