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The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) is a space-based telescope launched into low Earth orbit in 1990. It remains in operation today and is one of the largest and most versatile telescopes, renowned as a critical tool for scientific research and as a major contributor to public interest in astronomy. The HST is named after the famous astronomer Edwin Hubble. With a 2.4-meter (7.9 ft) mirror, Hubble's four main instruments allow it to observe in the near ultraviolet, visible, and near infrared spectrums. Its position in orbit outside Earth's atmosphere eliminates the distortion caused by atmospheric interference, enabling it to capture extremely high-resolution images with much lower background light than ground-based telescopes. The concept of space telescopes dates back to 1923, but funding for Hubble didn't come until the 1970s, with an initial launch planned for 1983. However, the project faced numerous setbacks, including technical delays, budget problems, and the Challenger disaster in 1986. Hubble was successfully launched in 1990.
