science π Hubble Telescope hits 200,000 orbits milestone
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope successfully completed its 200,000th orbit around Earth on September 19. This massive space-based observatory is a joint project between NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA). Over its 36-year lifetime, Hubble has traveled more than 5 billion miles and conducted over 1.7 million observations. Its unique ability to view light across ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared spectrums has revolutionized astronomy. Astronomers still request about seven times more observing time than is currently available each year. π