Hubble finds farthest galaxies strangest yet

[TacticalPeek]

Hubble Images Show Deepest
Universe View


44 minutes ago

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By PAUL RECER, AP Science Writer

BALTIMORE - Astronomers at the Space Telescope Science Institute
released the deepest-ever view of the universe Tuesday, a long-duration
exposure that reached out to a point just a few hundred million years
from the Big Bang.

Officials said the Hubble image contains an
estimated 10,000 galaxies, and astronomers
around the world will now search in this field
of view for the most distant objects known.

Steven V. W. Beckwith, director of the
institute, said the long-duration exposure by
the orbiting space telescope collected light
that has been streaking through space for
more than 13 billion years and started its
journey when the universe was only 5
percent of its present age, believed to be
about 13.7 billion years.

"For the first time, we're looking back at
stars that are forming out of the depths of
the Big Bang," Beckwith said. "We're seeing
the youngest stars within a stone's throw of
the beginning of the universe."


more
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=624&ncid=753&e=1&u=/ap/20040309/ap_on_sc/earliest_galaxies

[MessiahRp]

1. Regardless of Bush's motives

We really need to continue our space exploration. He wants the space exploration done mainly for military purposes but I believe there is no more important research to be done than that of space travel.

Is there anything more beautiful than the wonderment of space, it's planets, stars, and galaxies?

Rp

[w4rma]

3. Bush wants stop funding on the Hubble.

...
What concerns many close to the Hubble project is how quickly the decision was made to cancel the Hubble mission — it came just two days after President Bush announced a new vision for space exploration emphasizing a station on the moon and a manned mission to Mars. Many astronomers associated with Hubble research believe the decision to cancel Hubble was based on financial rather than safety issues.

Retired astronaut Bruce McCandless is puzzled about the economics of decision.

"There is $200 million worth of equipment upgrades to Hubble sitting in a warehouse that were scheduled to launch on the service mission. Is that just money down the drain now?" he asks.
...
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/SciTech/US/hubble_controversey_040209.html
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=102&topic_id=354153

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

28. It was also the bullsh*t reason given to kill Hubble

The new NASA director (who is a bean-counter, not an explorer) said that the Hubble's orbit would make it impossible for a shuttle to service it and still have enough fuel to make it to the ISS if the shuttle was damaged. They're using Columbia as an excuse to destroy NASA's most popular research tool, just as they use 9-11 to justify everything else they want.

What really pissed me off was how casually the NASA director talked about deorbiting the Hubble. He gave the excuse that there was a better space telescope on the way, but that sounded like another *shit lie. Once the Hubble is gone, there just won't be enough money for pure research. War on terra, y'know.

They've already started blending NASA and the military space program. If * gets another four years, NASA will disappear.

[calimary]

31. Sean O'Keefe? BLEEEEAGHHHHH!!!

Hope he goes out with the rest of 'em next January...

[rman]

8. You seem to think Bush is somehow good for space related science?

Are you saying Bush's space plans should be supported because it involves space travel - in spite of the fact that it's for military purposes? Do you also think it is a good thing to shorten the operational life of the Hubble Space Telescope in order to advance Bush's space plans?

I think astronomy and space exploration can do very well, most likely better, without Bush.

[MessiahRp]

11. LOL I don't support Bush's plans, I just meant

that space exploration should continue funding even if Shrub is going the wrong direction on this. I think a lot of Congresspeople want to cut it's funding dramatically because of the deficit and that's really not the way I want to go.

Believe me there is nothing I will ever agree upon with Bush.

Oh and giving up on the Hubble is shameful. That project netted us most of our best gains in space exploration since the program began.

Rp

[rman]

15. agreed

There wouldn't much point in cutting funding - even more - because it's just a small part of the US national budget to begin with.
Also any scientific research is a long-term investment in society; it produces technological advances and high tech jobs, which is good for the economy(* - provided those jobs are not outsourced.

*) the kind of economy where everyone benefits when the economy improves

[Journeyman]

19. I've seen something more beautiful than the wonderment of space. . .

and you could, too, probably in your own neighborhood. Take a tour of the children's oncology ward at your local hospital. Talk to the doctors, as I have done, and they'll tell you how when they began their residency, their job consisted largely of preparing children to die. But how today they send the majority home to live full, productive lives. Then tell me that studying distant crap in the firmament is more beautiful than a child's shining smile.

[supernova]

23. Yes, and without MRI

machines to track those tumors, Docs wouldn't be able to verify whether they were shrinking or not. And by, extention whether the treatment plan was working or not.

Need an MRI? Thank the space program.

And btw, I've logged time on the cancer ward myself. I know how hard it is.

edit: It constantly amazes me that people can be so ignorant of the benefit of space exploration.

[Journeyman]

24. And MRI technology is available ONLY because of space exploration?. . .

It constantly amazes me that people can be so ignorant as to believe that research will only go forward if placed in the service of space exploration. . .

[supernova]

25. You can't prove

the MRI machines would have developed without space exploration. But do feel free to try.

Concepts that started out as a ways to handle situations in space have become welcome gifts here on earth.

Here's a puzzle for you: Show me how it's not good to stretch ourselves, both in our technology and mental capacity.

We are curious creatures, we humans. We will always want to transcend our present capabilities, whatever they are.

[Journeyman]

26. The question was, "What's more beautiful than the void?". . .

a query I answered. You now accuse me of being ignorant and somehow a Luddite.

I'll toss your incredibly banal question back at you: Can you prove that something even better than MRI technology would not have been developed, had the money not been pissed away trying to make space trucks?

We're searching for water on distant planets while somewhere on this planet a child dies every 8 seconds from drinking contaminated water. When those children look into the firmament, they hope for rain. What hope does a smashed explorer on Mars offer them?

Here's a puzzle for you: Show me how devoting ourselves directly to the solution of our Earthly problems is better served by solving the esoteric concerns of humans trying to live in an alien environment?

[w4rma]

29. Imho, you should work to defund bomb and weapons research

instead of space exploration research.

Get your funds from places you know don't help anyone.

[MessiahRp]

39. Um...

If the ignorant comment is directed towards me I don't believe I was attempting to make my case for space exploration based on other sciences because I am well aware that the case can be made extremely strongly with that as the focus.

I just was marveling at the beauty of space and how important the exploration is to continue to learn more of this great unknown. I am not ignorant to the other benefits, I was just making a point that space itself is a great thing to continue scientific research on.

How we all lumped into an attack over that premise is beyond me.

Rp

[iam]

21. Yes there is,

my newborn children.

[Rex]

36. I totally agree - we should invest heavily in research on space travel

so I can get the hell off this rock before the neocons blow it up!

WARP SPEED SCOTTY!

[bemildred]

2. Impressive red shift on some of those ... nt

[ewagner]

4. Awe Inspiring!

How can anyone look at those Hubble photos and NOT ask the great questions?

[StClone]

13. Is the question

"Is there a God?"

My view is all this stuff is there by itself no deity strings attached which is equally amazing. Things exist for no other purpose than that they can.

[dave29]

16. funny you mention strings

some physicists might agree on the strings part. The God part remains debatable as well. Looking at this though, how could anyone presume to know anything.

[Westegg]

5. Time travel, of a sort...

It continues to intrigue me that we can look further and further back in time with our increasingly sophisticated telescopes. On the one hand, it almost doesn't make sense. But yet, the laws of physics (as we understand them) say that we can do so.

But how far back can we go? What, I ask you smart people out there, is the absolute limit? Will we ever be able to see the Beginning itself, and if not, then why not?

Sign me,

A Tiny Man In an Ever-Expanding Universe, Feeling Smaller Every Day

[dave29]

17. We are entering the dark era

There was a period of time that there was no "light" in the Universe, before the earliest formations of stars and galaxies. The first light formed in the Universe happened about 700k years after the big bang (someone correct me if I am wrong) - and we are already starting to find objects in this time frame with our telescopes.

One of the big misnomers about the "Big Bang" is that it was a big visible explosion. In fact it was the beginnings of an massive period of "inflation" in which the Universe grew by leaps and bounds. It was so hot (everything was so compact and close together) that elementary particles could not form - around the time it was cool enough for hydrogen and helium to form is when we started having first star formation, and first star light. This is what we are starting to see now. Scientists currently think the Big Bang happened somewhere around 13.7 billion years ago.

[Ripley]

6. *Gulp*

Maybe I grew up reading too much Sci-Fi, but while this is fascinating and amazing how far Hubble can see...

I sometimes get this chill...what if we get to see the Big Bang? And then whatever is "before" that? Would the answer revealed be more than our minds can handle? Would all human heads simultaneously explode (or just go completely mentally insane)?

Ahem. Are they going to save this great telescope or what?

[Bridget Burke]

9. No, they're going to let it die.

The website talks about "transitioning into the post-servicing mission era".

The Hubble does not contribute to the military use of space.

The Hubble does not equal a fat contract for some contributor's corporation.

Can you imagine any member of the current administration having a sense of wonder? Many just care about money or power. Those whose thoughts are occupied elsewhere know the universe was created over a period of 7 days, just 6000 years ago; too much knowledge is a dangerous thing.

http://hubble.nasa.gov/project-news/project-updates/2004-feb.html

[Mandate My Ass]

7. My God it's full of stars

Sorry, it had to be said. This part is really cool...

the orbiting space telescope collected light
that has been streaking through space for
more than 13 billion years and started its
journey when the universe was only 5
percent of its present age, believed to be
about 13.7 billion years.

[rman]

10. actually it's not stars - it's all galaxies

(each with billions of stars - so in a way you're correct)
and this is just a very tiny segment of the sky.

[ewagner]

12. Galaxies...with billions of stars

That is what is so mind boggling to me.

[rman]

18. must see zoom-in video will blow your mind

It gives a good impression of scale.

http://observe.arc.nasa.gov/stsci/hubbledev/newscenter/newsdesk/archive/releases/2004/07/video/b.html
(i'd recommend the 8MB mpeg version)

"The establishing shot starts with a very wide view of the sky as seen by a small ground-based telescope centered on the Fornax constellation. The image dissolves into the Digitized Sky Survey, through the Hubble GOODS South and ending on the HUDF. Constellations and fields are identified."

[Minstrel Boy]

20. consider my mind blown. thanks for the link. n/t

[TacticalPeek]

22. "a very tiny segment of the sky"

How tiny you may ask?

Equivalent to the amount of azure sky of deepest summer blocked by a grain of sand held at arm's length.

[Whoa_Nelly]

14. Bush has got to go!

BHGTG!

:hurts:

KEEP THE HUBBLE!

[OneBlueSky]

27. makes you realize anew just how puny and insignificant . . .

we humans and our little planet are . . . the infinite possibilities of what else might be "out there" boggles the mind . . .

[0007]

30. Photo taken 44 minutes ago and yet it has been

dissolved million of years ago - wonder what's there now?

[TacticalPeek]

32. Is it just me? Or does anyone else see

a twisty, staircasey effect in there when you sort of release your focus?

No, no! Put your guitars back in their cases!

:)


Could be just a double helix effect. :evilgrin:

[Gingersnapsback]

33. It's Awesome to me....but

Bush will have Haliburton drilling for oil on a planet called Lone Star Monopoly in a terrorist's heartbeat and then sell it to our children for big bucks.

[daleo]

38. I saw something like that too

I wondered if it was some kind of perspective effect, literally parallel lines converging at infinity. Also, a kind of swirly thing (yikes, I sound like the cat in Red Dwarf).

[Mari333]

34. I set that as my background image earlier today

to remind myself about the bigger picture in everything I do and am.

[Columbia]

35. Does anyone ever wonder

If they turn the Hubble around to take hi-def pics of Earth?

[jpgray]

37. And the fucking moron in the White House just TRASHED Hubble

This really brings it home to me, because my brother works in a research lab on campus concerning the star Eta Carinae.