1990 ⟶ Hubble Space Telescope Launched and Initial Difficulties
The Hubble Space Telescope, the first large optical telescop...
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🔭 Completion of the Palomar Observatory's 200-inch telescope
The largest telescope in the world, with a 5.08m (200 in) mirror, is completed at Palomar Mountain in California. At the time, the telescope pushes single-mirror telescope technology to its limits – large mirrors tend to bend under their own weight.⟶
AstronomyTelescopePalomar ObservatoryOptical AstronomyAstrophysicsObservational ScienceTechnological AdvancementLarge Telescopes
USA🛰️ Magellan Probe Maps Venus
The Magellan probe, launched by NASA, arrives at Venus and spends three years mapping the planet with radar. Magellan is the first in a new wave of probes that include Galileo, which arrives at Jupiter in 1995, and Cassini which arrives at Saturn in 2004.⟶
Space ExplorationVenusPlanetary ScienceRadar MappingMagellanNASA1980sAstronomyGeologyRemote Sensing
United States🔭 Hubble Space Telescope Launched and Initial Difficulties
The Hubble Space Telescope, the first large optical telescope in orbit, is launched using the Space Shuttle, but astronomers soon discovered that it is crippled by a problem with its mirror. A complex repair mission in 1993 allows the telescope to start producing spectacular images of distant stars, nebulae, and galaxies.⟶
AstronomySpace TelescopeHubble Space TelescopeSpace ExplorationOptical AstronomyNASA1990sCosmologyAstrophysicsEngineering
United States🔭 Keck Telescope Completed
The 10-meter Keck telescope on Mauna Kea, Hawaii, is completed. The first revolutionary new wave of telescopes, the Keck's main mirror is made of 36 six-sided segments, with computers to control their alignment. New optical telescopes also make use of interferometry – improving resolution by combining images from separate telescopes.⟶
AstronomyTelescopeOptical AstronomyKeck TelescopeMauna KeaInterferometry
🚀 Space Shuttle Columbia Disintegrates Upon Reentry
Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrates upon reentry into Earth's atmosphere⟶
Space ExplorationSpace Shuttle ProgramNASAAeronauticsSpace Disasters21st Century ScienceEngineering
United States