Announcements

25 October 2019: We are excited to announce the sixth conference in the series Science with the Hubble and James Webb Space Telescopes — Entering a golden age for UV - Optical - IR astronomy, sponsored by ESA in collaboration with the University of Stockholm. It will be held in Stockholm, at the Hotel Hasselbacken, between 30 March and 3 April 2020. Next April, we will celebrate Hubble’s 30 splendid years of scientific contributions to all branches of astronomy. At the same time, the countdown is accelerating towards the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, planned for March 2021. Webb’s unique combination of sensitivity, near- and mid-infrared wavelength coverage and spatial resolution promises to revolutionise our view of the Universe. Working in synergy, these two observatories will push the boundaries of knowledge against the backdrop of a rapidly evolving astronomical landscape. In space, GAIA will soon have completed its nominal high-precision astrometric …

15 October 2019: To celebrate the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope’s 30 incredible years in orbit, ESA/Hubble will deliver high-quality large-format prints of Hubble’s anniversary image for display at informal education venues across Europe. ESA/Hubble has now released the open call for proposals. In order to submit an application, the applicant (on behalf of the associated institution) must agree to the following terms in respect of the Hubble 30th anniversary image unveiling: Hold an image unveiling event in celebration of Hubble’s 30th anniversary in orbit on or after the date and time we provide. We also welcome proposals for creative electronic image unveilings. Ensure a strong media presence at the event and encourage press coverage, including social media coverage. The event must be free and open to the public. Engage with social media by tweeting or uploading pictures of your event on Facebook. Identify a long-term plan for displaying the Hubble anniversary image (e.g., …

30 September 2019: In April 2020 the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope will celebrate 30 years since its launch. Hubble has delved deeper into the early years of the Universe than was ever thought possible, played a critical part in the discovery that the expansion of the Universe is accelerating and probed the atmospheres of planets around distant stars. It has transformed the way the public sees the universe by presenting breathtaking and profound images of newborn stars to the oldest known galaxies. To celebrate these three decades of success in science, engineering and culture, ESA/Hubble will present a series of initiatives to involve the public in the celebrations. The first of these is a social media competition that will explore hidden gems from the ESA/Hubble image archive. These are images that are not as well known as the Top 100 Images, but are also truly beautiful. From 30 September to 10 November 2019, …

24 September 2019: ESA/Hubble is pleased to announce the release of the Hubble Catalog of Variables, the first full, homogeneous catalogue of variable sources based on archival HST data. The HCV was developed over four years by a team of astronomers at the National Observatory of Athens, led by Alceste Bonanos and sponsored by ESA in collaboration with STScI. The HCV is now available to the community via the ESA Hubble Science Archive (eHST) at ESAC and MAST at STScI, and can easily be explored using the HCV Explorer, a visualisation tool developed at ESAC specifically to navigate the HCV and look up your favorite object(s) or field(s)! Despite not being a survey telescope, the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) has obtained multi-epoch observations under multiple, diverse observing programmes. This provides the opportunity for a comprehensive variability search that aims to uncover new variables over a range of magnitudes that is difficult to reach …

24 June 2019: Every year on 30 June, the global “Asteroid Day” event takes place to raise awareness about asteroids and what can be done to protect Earth from possible impact. The day falls on the anniversary of the Tunguska event that took place on 30 June 1908, the most harmful known asteroid related event in recent history. This week, a team of astronomers, planetary scientists and software engineers based at ESA and other research institutes has launched a new citizen science project: the Hubble Asteroid Hunter. The project was developed as part of the Zooniverse – the world’s largest and most popular platform for people-powered research. The new project features a collection of archival Hubble images where calculations indicate that an asteroid might have been crossing the field of view at the time of the observation. Everyone can participate! By identifying the asteroids potentially present in these images and marking the exact …

12 June 2019: Transits — an object moving between the parent star and the observing telescope — not only allow to detect exoplanets orbiting distant stars, but also to infer many of their properties. This Hubblecast explores what we can learn from these transits, what Hubble has done in this field and what we can expect to learn through the upcoming NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope. You can subscribe to the Hubblecasts in iTunes, receive future episodes on YouTube, or follow us on Vimeo. Many other Hubblecast episodes are also available on the Hubblecast website. Find out how to view and contribute subtitles for the Hubblecast in multiple languages, or translate this video on YouTube.

29 April 2019: The Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) has announced a Call for Applications to attend the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Master Class. The class will provide dedicated JWST proposal training to selected researchers who are willing to share their knowledge with scientists at their local/regional institutions. The original announcement from STScI can be found here. The European Space Agency (ESA) will provide a similar opportunity to European astronomers. A similar JWST Master Class will be organised at the European Space Astronomy Centre (ESAC) in the first week of February 2020. The workshop will last approximately 2–3 days and will include topics related to JWST proposal planning, user tools, instrument modes, science cases, documentation, resources, and guidance regarding the education and dissemination of these topics to others. Approximately 10 astronomers will be selected to participate in the European JWST Master Class. These Master Class graduates will host one proposal-preparation training activity/mini-workshop …

18 April 2019: On 18 April 2019 Hubble is celebrating its 29th year in space. For this anniversary NASA and ESA dedicated a small amount of its precious observation time to take a look at the beautiful Southern Crab Nebula. This beautiful nebula is created by the ejected material of a red giant, which is in close interaction with a white dwarf star. You can subscribe to the Hubblecasts in iTunes, receive future episodes on YouTube, or follow us on Vimeo. Many other Hubblecast episodes are also available on the Hubblecast website. Find out how to view and contribute subtitles for the Hubblecast in multiple languages, or translate this video on YouTube.

8 April 2019: For 29 years, the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has been expanding our cosmic horizons. Not only has Hubble revealed and shared the beauty, wonder, and complexity of the Universe, but it has also brought astronomy into the public eye, greatly impacting our culture, society, and art. On 8 April 2019, the Our Place In Space exhibition premiered in Las Cruces exhibition at the Mesilla Valley Mall, led by ESA Hubble Space Telscope Project Scientist Antonella Nota. Developed in partnership with in partnership with the Space Telescope Science Institute and the European Space Agency, this is the first time that Our Place In Space has been hosted in the United States. This art exhibition features large images from the Hubble Telescope that are on display at eight locations around the city, alongside pieces created by local artists. By seamlessly integrating perspectives from both artists and astronomers, Our Place in Space inspires …

3 April 2019: Right after the Universe started with the Big Bang, the cosmos was dark. Only the first stars created millions of years later brought light. These first stars and their radiation drastically changed the Universe during what is known as the epoch of reionisation. This Hubblecasts talks about this important time, what Hubble has shown us so far, the open questions and what we can expect from future missions. You can subscribe to the Hubblecasts in iTunes, receive future episodes on YouTube, or follow us on Vimeo. Many other Hubblecast episodes are also available on the Hubblecast website. Find out how to view and contribute subtitles for the Hubblecast in multiple languages, or translate this video on YouTube.

20 February 2019: Born in 1868, Henrietta Leavitt was an astronomer ahead of her time, whose work helped to revolutionise our understanding of the Universe. While working at Harvard Observatory, she began to study stars of fluctuating brightness. She made a crucial observation about these objects, which gave astronomers a new way to measure distances, ultimately leading to such impactful discoveries as the expansion of the Universe. This new Hubblecast episode explores the life of Henrietta Leavitt and how her work enabled the discoveries of Edwin Hubble. You can subscribe to the Hubblecasts in iTunes, receive future episodes on YouTube, or follow us on Vimeo. Many other Hubblecast episodes are also available on the Hubblecast website. Find out how to view and contribute subtitles for the Hubblecast in multiple languages, or translate this video on YouTube.

19 December 2018: To obtain crystal clear images of distant galaxies and faint nebulae, Hubble relies on sophisticated hardware to keep its gaze locked onto its target. Hubble’s precise Fine Guidance Sensors, massive Reaction Wheels and state-of-the-art gyroscopes work together to make sure Hubble’s exquisite eye always points at its remote targets with the utmost accuracy. You can subscribe to the Hubblecasts in iTunes, receive future episodes on YouTube, or follow us on Vimeo. Many other Hubblecast episodes are also available on the Hubblecast website. Find out how to view and contribute subtitles for the Hubblecast in multiple languages, or translate this video on YouTube.

17 December 2018: The December 2018 issue of the ESA/Hubble Science Newsletter is now available. This issue features announcements on the current situation with Hubble’s gyroscopes and how it will affect the future operation of Hubble, updates on the eHST archive, the outcomes of the latest Time Allocation Committee and their impact on anonymising the observation proposals. The ESA/Hubble Science Newsletter promotes technical and operational news for the Hubble Space Telescope to European users and the scientific community. It is also intended to create a communication channel between the European Hubble user community, and the staff scientists at ESA who support Hubble science operations. You can subscribe to the ESA/Hubble Science Newsletter here, or get in touch at hubblenewseurope@stsci.edu. If you are a media representative we recommend subscribing to the ESA/Hubble Media Newsletter. This newsletter is aimed exclusively at journalists. If you are a member of the public, please subscribe to Hubble News.

13 November 2018: For more than 28 years, the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has been expanding our cosmic horizons. Not only has Hubble revealed and shared the beauty, wonder, and complexity of the Universe, but it has also brought astronomy into the public eye, greatly impacting our culture, society, and art. In February 2017, the travelling exhibition Our Place in Space premiered in the Istituto Veneto di Scienze, Lettere ed Arti, Palazzo Cavalli Franchetti, on the banks of the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy. Now the exhibition is coming to Bogotá, the capital city of Colombia. Organised by Colegio Hacienda Los Alcaparros with the endorsement of the European Space Agency (ESA), the exhibition will be open from 14 November to 20 December 2018 in the gallery of the Atlantis Plaza — entrance to the exhibition is free. By seamlessly integrating perspectives from both artists and astronomers, Our Place in Space inspires visitors to …

9 November 2018: The 24th issue of the Communicating Astronomy with the Public journal is out now! In this issue you will find information about the launch of the International Astronomical Union's 100th anniversary celebrations. Also, you will find articles exploring the uses of technology in astronomy communication, including virtual observatories, virtual reality technologies, video and animations. All of this, and more, is featured in this free, peer-reviewed journal for astronomy communicators — available now for download.

28 October 2018: The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope returned to normal operations late Friday, 26 October, and completed its first science observations on Saturday, 27 October. The observations were of the distant, star-forming galaxy DSF2237B-1-IR and were taken in infrared wavelengths with the Wide Field Camera 3. The return to conducting science comes after successfully recovering a backup gyroscope that had replaced a failed one three weeks earlier. One of Hubble’s gyroscope failed on 5 October, and the spacecraft’s operations team activated a backup gyroscope the next day. However, the backup incorrectly returned rotation rates that were far in excess of the actual rates. Last week the operations team commanded Hubble to perform numerous maneuvers and switched the gyroscope between different operational modes, which successfully cleared what was believed to be blockage between components inside the gyroscope that produced the excessively high rate values. Next, the team monitored and tested the gyroscope with …

24 October 2018: Over the last week, NASA has made great strides towards solving the problem with a backup gyroscope on the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. The backup gyroscope was turned on after the spacecraft entered safe mode following a gyroscope failure on Friday, 5 October. However, when it was turned on the backup gyroscope incorrectly returned extremely high rotation rates. These high rotation rates have since reduced and are now within the expected range. Additional tests will be performed to ensure Hubble can return to science operations using this gyroscope. A wheel inside the gyroscope spins at a constant rate of 19 200 revolutions per minute. This wheel is mounted in a sealed cylinder, called a float, which is suspended in a thick fluid. Electricity is carried to the motor by thin wires, approximately the size of a human hair, that are immersed in the fluid. Electronics within the gyroscope detect very …

17 October 2018: NASA continues to work toward resuming science operations of the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope after the spacecraft entered safe mode due to a failed gyroscope on Friday 5 October (ann1811). Following the gyroscope failure, the Hubble operations team turned on a backup gyroscope on the spacecraft. However, that gyroscope did not perform as expected, reporting rotation rates that are orders of magnitude higher than they actually are. Since then tests were conducted to assess the condition of that backup gyroscope. The tests showed that the gyroscope is properly tracking Hubble’s movement, but the rates reported are consistently higher than the true rates. When Hubble turns across the sky from one target to the next, the gyroscopes are put into a coarser (high) mode. In this high mode it may be possible to subtract out a consistent large offset to get an accurate reading. However, after the large turns are over, …

9 October 2018: NASA is working to resume science operations of the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope after the spacecraft entered safe mode on Saturday 6 October, shortly after midnight CEST. Hubble’s instruments still are fully operational and are expected to produce excellent science for years to come. Hubble entered safe mode after one of the three gyroscopes (gyros) actively being used to point and steady the telescope failed. Safe mode puts the telescope into a stable configuration until ground control can correct the issue and return the mission to normal operation. Built with multiple redundancies, Hubble had six new gyros installed during Servicing Mission 4 in 2009. Hubble usually uses three gyros at a time for maximum efficiency, but can continue to make scientific observations with just one. The gyro that failed had been exhibiting end-of-life behaviour for approximately a year, and its failure was not unexpected; two other gyros of the same …

8 October 2018: Nancy Roman, talented astronomer, driven spokesperson and lifelong champion for women in science, is often called “the mother of the Hubble Space Telescope” . In 1961, Nancy became the first Chief of Astronomy in the Office of Space Science at NASA, where her work with scientists, engineers and financial supporters led to the successful launches of many orbiting observatories, including the utterly impressive NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. This new Hubblecast episode features the story of Nancy Roman and her role in forging the path of one of the greatest scientific instruments in modern history. You can subscribe to the Hubblecasts in iTunes, receive future episodes on YouTube, or follow us on Vimeo. Many other Hubblecast episodes are also available on the Hubblecast website. Find out how to view and contribute subtitles for the Hubblecast in multiple languages, or translate this video on YouTube.