Hubblecast17 special: new views of the skies

In this new Hubblecast episode, Dr. J guides us through the first chapter of Eyes on the Skies, the International Astronomical Union's official movie celebrating the telescope on its 400th anniversary in 2009.

The Eyes on the Skies movie will be released during the autumn/winter 2008 (further information is available via the links below) and will explore the many facets of the telescope ? the historical development, the scientific importance, the technological breakthroughs, and also the people behind this ground-breaking invention, their triumphs and their failures.

For thousands of years, astronomers had to rely on their eyes to unravel the mysteries of the Universe. Upon its invention, the telescope revealed an incredible assortment of astronomical riches, and led to a dramatic increase in available knowledge regarding the incredible Universe surrounding us. In this Hubblecast titled New views of the skies, we will travel back in time to see just how the telescope was born and how it revolutionised astronomy.