Front Page Talking Points

FOR THE WEEK OF APR 27, 2015

Cosmic discoveries: NASA marks 25 years of Hubble Space Telescope payoffs

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1.gifLook for coverage of something nearly as amazing as Hubble. Tell why it also inspires.

2.gifIn that story – or another one about science, engineering or technology – find someone who's quoted. List at least two school subjects needed for her or his work.

3.gifSpace photos are vivid, educational and thought-provoking. Pick a newspaper image you like and tell why it's eye-catching or how it makes you feel.

One of America's significant space achievements is a quarter-century old and still sending rewards back to Earth. The Hubble Space Telescope, launched 25 years ago this month, has brought more discoveries than NASA can count. Thanks to its deep space images and data, scientists know more about our planet's origin, our solar system's vast size and our universe's breathtaking beauty.

For example, the telescope's observations helped researchers determine that the universe's expansion is accelerating rather than slowing. It also shows that supermassive black holes lurk at the heart of most galaxies, and maybe all of them. Just as importantly the bus-size telescope orbiting since April 24, 1990 also opens the astonishing wonder of the cosmos for non-scientists in a way that no other spacecraft has, mission leaders say.

"The universe is so much more accessible now to everyone than it had ever been before Hubble was launched," says Ken Sembach, head of the Hubble Mission Office at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore. "That's the lasting legacy." The telescope has been reborn again and again over the last 25 years, thanks to maintenance by astronauts until 2009, when space shuttle flights ended. Crews replaced circuit boards, did computer repairs and replaced optical parts such as lenses. Even without more hands-on fixes, Hubble works so well that NASA plans a 30th-anniversary celebration in 2020.

Ex-astronaut says: "This is a celebration partly about the telescope and partly about NASA, but much of it is a celebration of people doing science." – John Grunsfeld, associate NASA administrator

Science columnist says: "After a quarter-century, the telescope's future and promise are still as big as the sky and our ignorance of what lies behind it." – Dennis Overbye, New York Times reporter narrating the video below

What’s ahead: The James Webb Space Telescope is scheduled for launch in 2018.

Front Page Talking Points is written by Alan Stamm for NIEonline.com, Copyright 2024

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Common Core State Standard
SL.CCS.1/2/3/4 Grades 6-12: An essay of a current news event is provided for discussion to encourage participation, but also inspire the use of evidence to support logical claims using the main ideas of the article. Students must analyze background information provided about a current event within the news, draw out the main ideas and key details, and review different opinions on the issue. Then, students should present their own claims using facts and analysis for support.