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What do the faintest stars look like? How many cosmic rays are passing through the earth? How does the earth's magnetic field change when there is a solar storm? How is the hole in the ozone layer changing? Here you can check up on:
Observation satellites may be only 700 km above the Earth. They orbit from North to South as the earth rotates below them. They see a different segment of the Earth each time they pass over
and build up a complete picture by piecing together all the strips of
the Earth. These images give us vital information about how are world
functions and the effect we are having upon it. |
The science of Astronomy has been revolutionised by spacecraft. Satellites in Earth orbit gaze out into the heavens and bring us new information on the Solar System and beyond. The Hubble Space Telescope, launched in 1990, has provided unique views of the Universe from its 600 km high orbit, ranging from dust storms on Mars and cometary-impacts on Jupiter, to star-birth in the Eagle nebula, exploding galaxies and black-holes. Satellites can detect radiation, which would otherwise be blocked by the atmosphere. X-ray and gamma-ray astronomy satellites can detect and image the most violent processes in the Universe such as colliding galaxies and exploding stars. Ultraviolet astronomy satellites observe the hottest stars. Infra-Red and radio astronomy satellites observe cool objects, gas and dust, and can even measure the magnetic fields of distant galaxies. These satellites have also detected the remnant radiation from the "Big Bang" giving us vital clues as to the origin of the Universe. |
Click here for links to other space and astronomy websites. |
