Eyes on the Skies
December 27th, 2012
- Orion Nebula; credit: NASA,ESA, M. Robberto (Space Telescope Science Institute/ESA) and the Hubble Space Telescope Orion Treasury Project Team
Escaping the city’s bright lights can reveal more about the universe than you’d ever imagine, especially if you make the short drive from Portland to Hillsboro — where you’ll be starstruck by “Hubble Space Telescope: New Views of the Universe” (Nov. 17-May 31).
Curated by NASA, this exhibit explains the science behind the out-of-this world eyepiece that orbits Earth, beaming down photos that have helped us better understand the cosmos and our place in it. Visit the Washington County Museum’s new home in the Hillsboro Civic Center to take in color photographs showcasing Hubble’s most stunning discoveries, as well as a model of the telescope itself.
Moving 17,500 mph, the $1.5 billion Hubble Space Telescope orbits the globe in just 97 minutes, collecting light from the far reaches of space and compiling the data as ultra-rich images. Since its launch in 1990, Hubble has been crucial to civilization’s understanding of scientific mysteries like dark matter and the big bang. With interactive displays, this exhibit looks ahead to the next generation of interstellar spectacles, the James Webb Space Telescope, scheduled to launch in 2014.
Tags: museum, science, space, washington county
