Click2History - EXPLORING SPACE - MISSING PIECES - Chapter 4

<body link="0000ff" alink="ff0000" vlink="000000" bgcolor=000033> <table width="100%" bgcolor=000033> <tr> <td align=center valign=top> <table width=90% bgcolor=ffffff> <tr> <td align=center valign=top> <tr> <td> <div align=center><p><b><font face="arial, helvetica" size=5 color=000000><b>EXPLORING SPACE</p> <p><font size="4">CHAPTER 4 - MISSING PIECES</b></font></p> </div>  <center> <table width="90%"> <tr> <td align="left" valign="top"> <div align="justify"> <p><font face="arial, helvetica" color="000000" size="3">Hubble’s images sometimes appear to be <a target="_blank" href="http://hubblesite.org/gallery/behind_the_pictures/wacky_shape/detail.php"><b>missing part</b></a>  of the picture. That’s because one of <a target="_blank" href="http://hubblesite.org/hubble_discoveries/10th/vault/allabout.shtml"><b>its instruments</b></a> -  the Wide Field and Planetary <a target="_blank" href="http://hubblesite.org/hubble_discoveries/10th/photos/slide11.shtml"><b>Camera 2</b></a> -  records images with <a target="_blank" href="http://hubblesite.org/gallery/behind_the_pictures/wacky_shape/dividing.php"><b>four cameras</b></a>.  One of those four cameras (the planetary camera) magnifies what <a target="_blank" href="http://hubblesite.org/the_telescope/nuts_.and._bolts/res101.php"><b>it sees</b></a>,  while the other three (the wide field cameras) do not.</P> <p>When a <a target="_blank" href="images/picture_created_path.from.space.to.earth_nasa.drawing.jpg"><b>picture is created</b></a>   (by assembling the four sections from the four cameras), scientists reduce the magnified (detailed) area so it matches the other three sections. It’s rather like zooming-in on one area of an object - so we can better study it - and then zooming-out if we want to produce a synchronized image. But when we zoom-out, we use less space and - <a target="_blank" href="http://hubblesite.org/gallery/behind_the_pictures/wacky_shape/constructing.php"><b>for Hubble</b></a> -  that unused space has a stair-step appearance in the <a target="_blank" href="http://hubblesite.org/gallery/behind_the_pictures/wacky_shape/together.php"><b>stitched-together picture</b></a>.  </p> <p>When Hubble’s first images were analyzed, scientists <a target="_blank" href="http://ntrs.nasa.gov/archive/nasa/casi.ntrs.nasa.gov/19910003124_1991003124.pdf"><b>realized</b></a>  that the telescope had <a target="_blank" href="images/blurred_vision_core.M100_27.nov.93_after.repair_31.dec.93_gsfc.image.94-HC-2.jpg"><b>blurred vision</b></a>.   A shuttle mission, sent to repair <a target="_blank" href="http://hubblesite.org/hubble_discoveries/10th/photos/slide04long.shtml"><b>the problem</b></a>  a few years later, was <a target="_blank" href="images/was_successful_hubble.image_comparing.before.after.fix.jpg"><b>successful</b></a>.   Since then, Hubble has been sending incredible images backs to Earth. Its <a target="_blank" href="http://hubblesite.org/hubble_discoveries/10th/video/movies/first-decade.mov"><b>first ten years</b></a>  (be patient while loading this Quick Time video clip) were amazing, but images from recent years have been no less sensational. <p>Let’s examine some of the space telescopes’ most <a target="_blank" href="http://realserver1.jpl.nasa.gov:8080/ramgen/Video-WFPC-mus-narr-010910.rm"><b>beautiful images</b></a>.  (This is a RealVideo link.)</p> </div> <p align="center"><font size="2"><a href="exploring_space_ch3.htm">GO TO LAST CHAPTER</a>   <a href="exploring_space_ch1.htm">BACK TO FIRST CHAPTER</a>   <a href="exploring_space_ch5.htm">GO TO NEXT CHAPTER</a></p> <blockquote><br>  </td> </tr> </table>  </td>  <td align="center" valign="top"> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.awesomestories.com/includes/ad_format.js"> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> </td>  </tr> </table>  </td> </tr> </table> </body>