Hubble Space Telescope:
New Views of the Universe

July 12–October 26 2008

For centuries, human beings have pondered the universe as they peered into the skies. In 1609 Galileo trained his telescope on the heavens and expanded our view of the universe beyond what the naked eye could see. Since then, developments in optics, photography and spectroscopy have pushed back the boundaries of the known universe. Among the most far-reaching of these tools is the Hubble Space Telescope, named for American astronomer Edwin Hubble (1889–1953). Launched in 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope is the largest astronomical telescope ever sent into space, Hubble provides astronomers with unprecedented information about the universe, sending awesome images of distant galaxies and other celestial features that inspire scientists and the general public alike.

Featuring the best of Hubble’s beautiful images, the exhibition explores its mission, history and purpose. A scale model of Hubble and hands-on activities let you investigate how the telescope works.