NASA is enlisting the public to select a new target for the agency's flagship Hubble Space Telescope.People now through March 1 can vote for one of six candidate astronomical objects that range from a star-forming region to a spiral galaxy to planetary nebulae and two galaxies coming together in deep space.
Currently in first place: The interacting galaxies known as Arp 274. Drawn together by their gravity, the galactic pair might be spawning offspring. The spiral shapes of the galaxies largely are intact, but as they merge together, the gas clouds inside them might be forming new stars.
A spiral galaxy hosting more than 100 billion stars (NGC 5172) is in second place. Now in third place: an interstellar nursery (NGC 6334) where hot young stars emit high-energy radiation.
The others include an edge-on galaxy (NGC 4289) and two planetary nebula (NGC 6072 and NGC 40).
The workhorse camera that has captured Hubble's most iconic images -- Wide-Field Planetary Camera 2 -- will take a high-resolution image of the winning candidate. The image will be released in early April as part of the agency's International Year of Astronomy celebration.
Voters will be entered into a random drawing to receive one of 100 copies of the Hubble photograph.
Click here to Go Vote.
Launched from Kennedy Space Center in April 1990 aboard shuttle Discovery, the Hubble telescope is designed to be repaired by astronauts. NASA aims to launch a fifth and final Hubble servicing mission on May 12.
An astronaut crew led by veteran mission commander Scott Altman will outfit the observatory with two new science instruments, attempt to repair two others, and equip the telescope with gear that will extend its useful life another five years.
Click here for Mission Information.
Click here to Learn More About Hubble.
Click here for Florida Today's special interactive multimedia report Saving Hubble.
ABOUT THE IMAGES: Click to enlarge and save the top photo of the Hubble Space Telescope floating above the limb of the Earth. It was captured by the crew of STS-103 during a servicing mission in 1999. The next photo shows Arp 274, interacting galaxies that might be spawning offspring.
2 comments:
One has to wonder why NASA can't just get on with its mission and quit trying to act like a giant public-relations firm. If NASA's leadership can't figure out how to run its science programs and which direction to point its telescopes, let's bring in new management.
This has been NASA's biggest problem since Apollo, trying to make the generation of public support its primary mission. Especially true of manned space, which may have nothing to justify it other than that (and being a huge jobs program).
Obama's Pork-ulus bill is going to be passed... anyone know how much $ is in it for NASA? We know that the military is not getting anything from it, but nearly every other govt. agency is getting an X-mas wish list. Obama wants to save or create jobs. why not NASA?
As to where to point the Hubble, maybe they should point it towards the end of the national dept after this bill is passed... you will find a massive Black Hole!
Rick Steele
Sarasota
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