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What kinds of light can the Hubble Space Telescope observe?
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Astronomy
Hubble Space Telescope, photographed by the space shuttle Discovery.
The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is a versatile observatory capable of detecting three primary types of light within the electromagnetic spectrum:
- Visible light: The telescope captures high-resolution images of celestial objects in the same range of light visible to the human eye.1
- Ultraviolet light: Because Earth’s atmosphere absorbs most ultraviolet radiation, the HST is essential for observing this range. It utilizes specialized instruments, including spectrographs sensitive to ultraviolet wavelengths (such as the 115–320 nm range), to study cosmic phenomena that cannot be seen from the ground.21
- Infrared light: The telescope is equipped with recording instruments, including near-infrared spectrometers, that allow it to detect infrared radiation.1
By operating above the distorting effects of Earth's atmosphere, the HST provides clear, detailed observations across these different wavelengths, significantly advancing our understanding of the universe.1