• Question: how far does a telescope go?

    Asked by lewistodd to Mario, Jasmine, Dr D, Alexis on 25 Jun 2013.
    • Photo: Alexis Barr

      Alexis Barr answered on 25 Jun 2013:

      I’m learning here too! The Hubble telescope for example can see out to a distance of several billion light years. These numbers blow my mind they’re so big! When looking through a telescope you’re actually looking back in time because the light takes so long to reach our eyes from the darkest depths of outer space.

    • Photo: Jasmine Penny

      Jasmine Penny answered on 25 Jun 2013:

      Interesting question! Like Alexis I had to investigate the answer to this question. The Hubble telescope allows us to see galaxies billions of years away. In fact it helped us work out that the universe is 13 billion years old. The hubble telescope was launched in 1990 and orbits the Earth. Did you know it moves at 5 miles per second so can orbit the Earth in 97 minutes!

    • Photo: Andrew Devitt

      Andrew Devitt answered on 25 Jun 2013:

      Yep. You canlook back in time! The light we see now is very old! Maybe we should hold up a big mirror and send it all back!

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