Topic: The Hubble Space Telescope may have discovered as many as 100 new planets orbiti

[Nemesis]

The Hubble Space Telescope may have discovered as many as 100 new planets orbiting stars in our galaxy. 

Hubble's harvest comes from a sweep of thousands of stars in the dome-like bulge of the Milky Way. 

If confirmed it would almost double the number of planets known to be circling other stars to about 230.

The discovery will lend support to the idea that almost every sunlike star in our galaxy, and probably the Universe, is accompanied by planets.

A good reason to keep it operating?

The astronomers expect it should be possible to study the atmospheres of between 10% and 20% of the planets discovered.

[Ravok]

 There was NEVER a good reason to try to shut it down. Even if some thing is coming out to replace it.
 There are Astronomers waiting for years to get time on it. And i doubt that the replacement will be much better.
 Let her fly until she falls out of the sky!!!!!

[J. Carney]

There was NEVER a good reason to try to shut it down. Even if some thing is coming out to replace it.
 There are Astronomers waiting for years to get time on it. And i doubt that the replacement will be much better.
 Let her fly until she falls out of the sky!!!!!

Fall out of the sky? You want to let it fall out of the sky? I say when it starts to fall, duct tape the SOB to the far side of the Moon!

We have learned far too much to allow the Hubble to end it's services this soon. If we had stopped trying to fly after we had lost 17 pilots, we'd have never gotten far enough to loose 17 astronauts!

To borrow a phrase from someone- "Risk is Our Business."

[Ravok]

  Well said!

[Javora]

Agreed.  Either keep fixing it or replace it with something better.

[Darth Sidious]

Agreed.  Either keep fixing it or replace it with something better.

Or better yet do BOTH.  There is so much we can learn from Hubble yet, as well as Hubble's replacements.

I for one cannot wait for the day when some space agency or astronomer annouces - We've Found an Earthlike Planet

[Bonk]

Agreed.  Either keep fixing it or replace it with something better.

Spherical aberration on a >1 billion dollar scope... <shakes head> Just think what we'd get if they had ground the mirror properly (I still can't believe they made that error, and it passed QA/QC, I mean c'mon I learned that in grade 11 physics!)

[Ravok]

It was ground perfectly here on earth. But when they put it in 0 gees it warped because gravity was not holding it down.

[The Bar-Abbas Anomaly]

It was ground perfectly here on earth. But when they put it in 0 gees it warped because gravity was not holding it down.

It was perfect in that the glass was flawless.... Just the wrong perscription, so to speak.

[Bonk]

It was ground perfectly here on earth. But when they put it in 0 gees it warped because gravity was not holding it down.

I had not heard that, interesting. I was under the impression it left the factory floor as a spherical mirror, not parabolic. If that is indeed the case then it is a little more understandable.

Neat stuff about planet discovery though! That's great news!

Anybody know if there's any truth to the rumour that there is a second Hubble that points down? (...could see the hair on a flea's butt!)

[*EZKILL*]

Don't think it would work....if Hubble pointed methinks down its optics would get ruined from the reflected sunlight. Just way, way to bright down here.

[Bonk]

Don't think it would work....if Hubble pointed methinks down its optics would get ruined from the reflected sunlight. Just way, way to bright down here.

Just turn down the CCD gain - most of the spectral optics(ie films) could be left off that model.

[hobbesmaster]

Don't think it would work....if Hubble pointed methinks down its optics would get ruined from the reflected sunlight. Just way, way to bright down here.

Just turn down the CCD gain - most of the spectral optics(ie films) could be left off that model.

However it'd be out of focus.  Incredibly out of focus.

[Bonk]

Hmmm, lemme stew on that... (I'm just fascinated by the possibility for some reason). Working distance would definitely be an issue that would have to be appropriately modified from the original design.

Regarding light levels a few filters or night observation might be appropriate.

In the meantime:

The most serious and notorious problem was an optical defect called spherical aberration, which was caused by the malfunction of a measuring device used during the polishing of the mirror.

http://www.spacetelescope.org/about/history/aberration_problem.html

Ah, the FAQs there pretty much answer my question (consistent with the comments here):
http://www.spacetelescope.org/about/faq.html

As I searched some more on this I ended up getting a good chuckle...:
http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/planetearth/russian_spy_990927.html
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2003-05-12-spy-satellite_x.htm
http://www.halfbakery.com/idea/police_20spy_20sats
http://www.bobfromaccounting.com/9_25/arabswave.html (lol)

[Just plain old Punisher]

I agree let it remain until major systems stop functioning. We already do this with out keyhole recon sats. We keep them going long after we've used up all the thruster fuel...even after most of the solar panels stop functioning.