How far away is the Hubble telescope?

So, How Far Away Is the Hubble Telescope? Let’s Clear That Up.

The Hubble Space Telescope. We’ve all seen the breathtaking images it’s beamed back to Earth, but have you ever stopped to wonder just where it is? Well, it’s not exactly next door, but it’s a lot closer than, say, the Andromeda Galaxy.

Hubble cruises around our planet in what’s called low Earth orbit, at a height of roughly 320 miles – that’s about 515 kilometers . Now, I know what you might be thinking: “320 miles? That sounds like a long way!” And you’re not wrong. But in the grand scheme of things, especially when we’re talking about space, it’s practically in our backyard. Think of it this way: you could drive from Baltimore to Boston in about the same time it would take to reach Hubble if you could drive straight up!

Here’s a slightly geeky but important detail: Hubble’s altitude isn’t set in stone. It actually dips a little over time because of the tiny bit of atmosphere it encounters . Imagine trying to run a marathon in a swimming pool – that’s kind of what Hubble’s dealing with. That’s why the Space Shuttle, in its glory days, would give Hubble a boost every now and then, bumping it back up to a higher orbit during those crucial servicing missions . Over the years, its orbit has wobbled between 515 km and 618 km . As of late 2022, it was hanging out around 535 km up there .

And get this: it’s not just sitting still up there! Hubble zips around Earth at a blistering 17,000 miles per hour (or 27,000 kilometers per hour), completing a full orbit in just 95 to 97 minutes . That’s about 15 trips around the whole planet every single day! Since it launched, this incredible machine has racked up over 4 billion miles traveled . Talk about frequent flyer miles!

So, why put Hubble so “close” to Earth? Well, there’s a method to the madness. Being above the thickest part of our atmosphere is a game-changer. The atmosphere blurs and distorts light, making it tough for ground-based telescopes to get a clear view. Plus, it blocks out certain types of light altogether . By floating above all that, Hubble can capture unbelievably sharp images with far less interference. Think of it like trying to take a photo through a dirty window versus a clean one. And, let’s not forget, being in low Earth orbit meant astronauts could actually visit Hubble to fix things and give it upgrades back when the Space Shuttle was still flying . That was a huge advantage!

Don’t let its relative proximity fool you, though. Hubble might be close to us, but it’s looking at things incredibly far away. It’s spotted galaxies like GN-z11, which is a mind-boggling 13.4 billion light-years distant . So, while Hubble’s just a few hundred miles up, its gaze stretches across the entire universe. Pretty amazing, right?