January 5, 2010 3:25 PM
Hubble Spies Never-Before-Seen Galaxies
The refurbished Hubble Space Telescope has spotted the oldest galaxies yet, scientists reported Tuesday.
A newly installed wide field camera on Hubble this summer captured the never-before-seen galaxies, which were formed 600 million years after the Big Bang. Scientists believe that massive explosion led to the creation of the universe.
The image was taken in a region of space that Hubble scanned in 2004. Since the new camera has a near-infared channel, it allows the orbiting telescope to peer deeper into the universe and spot distant galaxies.
The camera was installed in May by NASA spacewalking astronauts as part of a mission to upgrade and repair the aging telescope.
Hubble is a collaboration between NASA and the European Space Agency.
A newly installed wide field camera on Hubble this summer captured the never-before-seen galaxies, which were formed 600 million years after the Big Bang. Scientists believe that massive explosion led to the creation of the universe.
The image was taken in a region of space that Hubble scanned in 2004. Since the new camera has a near-infared channel, it allows the orbiting telescope to peer deeper into the universe and spot distant galaxies.
The camera was installed in May by NASA spacewalking astronauts as part of a mission to upgrade and repair the aging telescope.
Hubble is a collaboration between NASA and the European Space Agency.
AP
