Why does the hubble space telescope orbit in the exosphere and not closer to earth?

Answer 1

To zoom VERY far in on certain objects in space (ones that people at NASA instruct it to look at) and takes high quality pictures for us to study and learn from so we can understand more about our universe. Google "Hubble Pictures" online and see just some of the beautiful and high-quality pictures Hubble has taken. It is also in space because, if observed from the Earth's surface, the atmosphere would interfere with the way we perceive the outer universe.

Answer 2

The Hubble Space Telescope orbits in the exosphere because it minimizes atmospheric drag, allowing for clearer and more stable observations of space. Being higher up also provides a wider field of view and reduces the effects of Earth's atmosphere on the telescope's imaging capabilities.

Answer 3

The best reason is because even the clearest air absorbs a LOT of light, especially the infra-red wavelengths.

(Curiously, the specific wavelengths of light that are most transparent happen to be the wavelengths at which our eyes are most sensitive. It's almost as if we evolved right here on this planet so that our primitive ancestors could see best.)

That's why observatories were built at the tops of tall mountains; to be above as much air as possible. In space, there is no air, and so space telescopes like the Hubble and Spitzer telescopes are able to see very well in infra-red and ultra-violet regions.

Answer 4

By being in outer space, the Hubble Telescrope doesn't have it's view obscured (e.g. by clouds, light pollution, air pollution) or altered (i.e. atmospheric turbulence) by the earth's atmosphere. As well, by being in space, Hubble is able to view both ultraviolet and infrared light, which are heavily absorbed by the atmosphere, in addition to visible light.

Answer 5

The temperature of space and the Earth differ greatly and this creates distorted images. Also the exosphere contains little to no atmosphere and so the telescope does not experience any air resistance.

Answer 6

We have an atmosphere that gets in the way. Pockets of air at different temperatures and different volumes act as lenses, just like those in the telescope itself, that bend the light and can do so rapidly. In fact, this bending of light is the cause of most UFO sightings. Given the properties of light, this bending can cause a change in shape and color of the object being observed and so can cause a lot of problems with useful data. Placing the telescope above the atmosphere (or in its uppermost reaches) allows the observer to bypass these issues.

Answer 7

Hubble orbiting EarthIf you have ever tried opening your eyes under water and looking up, you will see that the objects outside the water are slightly distorted due to the ripples on the water's surface. As light enters water, the light beam bends slightly. The ripples on the surface make the light bend in different amounts.

The Earth's atmosphere is similar to this, except that the distortions are mostly caused by different temperatures of air in the atmosphere. The different temperatures make the light beams bend slightly. As a result, when one looks at a pin-prick of a star in the night sky, the star will twinkle. When trying to take pictures of stars that are distorted, you will get very bad quality pictures.

The Hubble telescope orbits Earth and has almost no atmosphere to distort the view of the stars. This means that even though the Hubble telescope is not the biggest telescope in operation, it is able to produce some of the clearest pictures.

The earth's atmosphere also absorbs some of the extremely faint light coming from stars and galaxies billions of light-years away.

Answer 8

The whole point is to be outside of Earth's atmosphere. This is because Earth's atmosphere interferes considerably in the light received by a telescope.

The whole point is to be outside of Earth's atmosphere. This is because Earth's atmosphere interferes considerably in the light received by a telescope.

The whole point is to be outside of Earth's atmosphere. This is because Earth's atmosphere interferes considerably in the light received by a telescope.

The whole point is to be outside of Earth's atmosphere. This is because Earth's atmosphere interferes considerably in the light received by a telescope.

Answer 9

Ground based telescopes have to look through the ocean of air that surrounds the Earth. In our atmosphere, gas molecules, dust, ice, haze, and other particles can scatter the light from planets and stars, and also alter the wavelengths that we can see from the surface. Warm air rising in convection currents also causes light to be refracted, as in the shimmering we can see on a hot day. Reflected light from city lights also interferes with visual observations (this is called light pollution). For these reasons, many telescopes are situated on high mountain peaks.

In space, there are virtually no atmospheric effects to impede a telescope's view. But there are other hazards. Heat, radiation, the solar wind, and ionized particles can interfere with the operation of the telescope. But most of the time, a space observatory has a much clearer look than ones on the ground.

Answer 10

It's above the atmosphere, so there is no atmospheric distortion. (This also means there are never any clouds to obscure the view, and that there is no scattered light pollution.)