And it's still performing admirably ever since its last service and overhaul (last in every sense, because its no longer possible to fix issues now that the space shuttles have ceased), and with only one of its 6 vital gyroscopes showing signs of wear and tear.
The Butterfly Nebula |
In the near future, its hoped that for a few years at least, it will be able to team up with its eventual replacement, the James Webb scope, and perform some very special science, by each viewing the same objects, but from slightly different perspectives, utilising the gravitational lensing effects created by distant galaxies, to see ever further back in time.
While there will always be the scientific luddites, who believe that we should spend every penny to feed the poor, its also the same sort of nonsense thinking that would have kept us in the caves. These sort of 'thinkers' would have punished the very first man who invented something 'useless' called fire instead of going out hunting or scavenging. Whomever the 'Ugg' was who came up with making fire, he would surely now be beaten to death by the 'greens', probably as a criminal environmental polluter who was burning fossil fuels and creating the first carbon emissions.
Eagle Nebula - aka the "Pillars of Creation". |
Having any sort of debate with these sort of people is impossible, because they are resistant to logic ... For instance the whole of the Hubble costs, from development to the last rebuild, would be equal to about 10p (given just once to every UN officially defined poor person in the world) .... barely a cup of rice. The poor can never be got rid of .... they have always been with us and probably always will be.
We can't allow this stupidity to impoverish our minds and our thoughts ... if there is any hope for mankind, it is almost certainly off the planet which we are so busily abusing. It is the stars (or planets to be technical), or extinction for this curious ape descendent.
The Sombrero Galaxy (M104) |
So enough of the guff .... let us celebrate this marvellous human achievement, and just look at some of the glorious images it has sent back to those of us with our heads in the skies, even if our feet are still in the mud.
Great photos!
ReplyDeleteHow much did Sky pay for the football? There's a waste of money!
There's lots of waste of money in most Town Halls .... they are great photo's
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