• HUBBLE'S FINAL FRONTIER

DESCRIPTION

Orbiting nearly 650 kilometres above the Earth, the Hubble space telescope has been our most powerful window on soaring star factories. It has been instrumental in providing the existence of black holes and has captured the cataclysmic end of stars far larger than our own sun. Rocking a long-established theory about universe existence, Hubble proved that the universe is expanding more and more quickly, which could ultimately destroy our entire universe.

The telescope also provided the first stunningly-detailed images that illustrate how embryonic stars are born from gas and dust clouds. First recorded by Chinese astronomers in 1054 A.D., Hubble has tracked the debris from a thousand year old supernova still moving into space at approximately 5 million kilometres an hour.

When scientists focused Hubble on Jupiter, they were able to watch in real time the devastating effect of a comet hitting the massive planet. But the 12-ton telescope will soon be lost forever as it slowly spirals towards Earth, and astronauts will travel back into space to repair Hubble before the telescope is eventually shut down and sent back to Earth.

EPISODE GUIDE

  • Hubble's Final Frontier
    Astronauts are preparing to rendezvous one last time to refurbish and re-boost the venerable Hubble Space Telescope. Its a dangerous mission, so why is Hubble worth the risk? Hubble has been the key that has unlocked many secrets of the Universe. Take an excursion into the high frontiers of space as we explore the epic discoveries of made with Hubble. See how Hubble has explored the creation of stars and planets, the glory of supernovas, the formation of super massive black holes, charted dark matter and changed forever our understanding of reality itself. See how Hubble has glimpsed the origins of our Universe and the end of time. And see what NASA has planned for the orbiting telescope, and the successor to the Hubble program, the "James Webb Space Telescope".
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National Geographic Channel