Why Put Telescopes in Space?

What Crafty Clover says in this video

Intro

Hi there, curious minds! I'm Crafty Clover! Let's discover something amazing. Why put telescopes in space?

The Big Idea

We put telescopes in space to get above the air that blurs and blocks starlight! Up there, there is no twinkle blur, and some kinds of light, like sharp ultraviolet or infrared, get through better. Space eyes see cleaner, and that helps us discover more.

No Twinkle Blur

Step one: no twinkle blur. On the ground, moving air makes stars twinkle and blurs the pictures. In space, there is no air, so the pictures stay sharp.

Blocked Light Gets Through

Step two: blocked light gets through. Our atmosphere blocks most ultraviolet light and a lot of infrared light. A telescope in space can catch both.

Always Ready

Step three: always ready. Space telescopes do not have to wait for clear weather or for night to fall. They can stare at faint targets for days, collecting every bit of light.

A Closer Look

Let's take a closer look! Hubble orbits Earth and has sent us amazing pictures for decades. JWST, the James Webb Space Telescope, is far from Earth and sees infrared light. The atmosphere is the air layer both of them dodge. Their deep views show galaxies galore.

Quick Facts

Quick facts! Hubble and JWST are atmosphere dodgers. Hubble was launched in 1990 and has worked for decades. JWST was launched on Christmas Day, 2021. Look for the Hubble Deep Field, a tiny patch of sky with thousands of galaxies.

Think Like a Scientist

Now, take a look! Find one Hubble Deep Field image with a grown-up. Notice the tiny dots, swirls, and smudges of different colours. Almost every dot is a whole galaxy. Galaxies galore!

Outro

Telescopes in space show us the universe clearly. Science is amazing! Crafty Clover can be found on Amazon Books, Google Bookstore, and Apple Books. Available for purchase or download! Bye for now!