S3/ Reading EX 8:The Hubble Telescope

1 The Hubble telescope, named after the prominent astronomer Edwin Hubble, was launched into space with great fanfare on April 25, 1990. Although there are many powerful telescopes at various locations on Earth, the Hubble telescope was expected to be able to provide considerably better information because it would be able to operate from the vacuum of space, without interference from the Earth’s atmosphere. By launching the Hubble telescope into space, NASA (the National Aeronautics and Space Administration) was, in essence, placing an observatory above the Earth’s atmosphere.

17. Why does the author mention “many powerful telescopes at various locations on Earth” in paragraph 1?

• to emphasize the need for telescopes at various locations on Earth

• to show that the Hubble telescope was different from existing telescopes

• to indicate how the atmosphere improves the quality of information from space

• to emphasize the similarities between the Hubble telescope and other telescopes

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1 The Hubble telescope, named after the prominent astronomer Edwin Hubble, was launched into space with great fanfare on April 25, 1990. Although there are many powerful telescopes at various locations on Earth, the Hubble telescope was expected to be able to provide considerably better information because it would be able to operate from the vacuum of space, without interference from the Earth’s atmosphere. By launching the Hubble telescope into space, NASA (the National Aeronautics and Space Administration) was, in essence, placing an observatory above the Earth’s atmosphere.

18. The author uses the phrase “in essence” in paragraph 1 in order to indicate that the information that follows the phrase

• provides a simplified description of a previously stated situation

• indicates the cause of a previously stated effect

• provides further details about a previously stated main idea

• indicates the classification to which previously stated examples belong

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2 The Hubble telescope is distinct from other orbiting telescopes in that, to date, it has been the only telescope designed for maintenance and repair while it is orbiting in space. A major part of the design concept for the telescope was planned around the ability to send astronauts up to the telescope to service it at necessary intervals, as opposed to removing the telescope from orbit, thus potentially losing precious images during the time that the telescope would be grounded for repairs. Therefore, both the design and the orbit path for the telescope needed to be carefully orchestrated to ensure the greatest ease of access for astronauts, while simultaneously allowing for the best path for the telescope to travel in order to reflect images, many of which have been extremely illuminating to scientists as they study outer space.

19. Why does the author use the phrase “as opposed to" in paragraph 2?

• to show that the Hubble telescope operates in a different way than other telescopes

• to explain that NASA’s design to repair the telescope in orbit did not have support

• to contrast two different methods of repairing the telescope

• to emphasize that repairing the telescope in orbit was dangerous

3 It has been fortunate that the designers of the Hubble telescope planned in advance for in-orbit repairs. Shortly after the telescope was launched, a malfunction in the main mirror was revealed, which led to a distortion of the images that the telescope reflected back to researchers on Earth. Though scientists realized the problem with the main mirror almost immediately after the launch of the telescope, it was not until 1993 that the first repair mission was sent to the telescope. During this mission, the mirror was repaired in a unique fashion: rather than replacing the mirror, an impossibility while the telescope was in orbit, new optical components were added to the telescope to correct the reflection of the primary mirror. In a sense, these additions to the mirror acted as “eyeglasses” by correcting what the main mirror “sees.”

20. The author includes the phrase “in a unique fashion” in paragraph 3 in order to

• describe the astronaut’s unusual uniforms

• to highlight the unusual approach to repairing the mirror

• to explain how the telescope continued to reflect images during the repair

• to indicate that the method used to repair the telescope was strange

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3 It has been fortunate that the designers of the Hubble telescope planned in advance for in-orbit repairs. Shortly after the telescope was launched, a malfunction in the main mirror was revealed, which led to a distortion of the images that the telescope reflected back to researchers on Earth. Though scientists realized the problem with the main mirror almost immediately after the launch of the telescope, it was not until 1993 that the first repair mission was sent to the telescope. During this mission, the mirror was repaired in a unique fashion: rather than replacing the mirror, an impossibility while the telescope was in orbit, new optical components were added to the telescope to correct the reflection of the primary mirror. In a sense, these additions to the mirror acted as “eyeglasses” by correcting what the main mirror “sees.”

21. Why does the author use the term “eyeglasses” in paragraph 3?

• to explain an effect the telescope has on images

• to describe the telescope’s importance to NASA

• to demonstrate that the Hubble telescope extends for long distances

• to help the reader understand the function of the telescope’s main mirror

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4 The mission to repair the mirror was not the only trip arranged by NASA to maintain the Hubble telescope at its optimal operating capacity. Four subsequent missions took place after that first mission, the last occurring in 2009. During each mission, astronauts fixed, updated, and replaced components essential to the operating success of the telescope. The final mission’s goal was to make sure the telescope would operate successfully until at least 2014. This mission occurred only after some controversy. Initially, it was canceled because of safety concerns surrounding the space shuttle program. However, after much public debate, NASA approved the rescheduling of the mission, to the dismay of the mission’s opponents.

22. The author includes the phrase “to the dismay of the mission’s opponents” in order to

• show that NASA’s decision to send up another repair team was fully supported

• emphasize that some people were not pleased about NASA’s decision to send up another repair team

• indicate that opponents to NASA’s decision continued to fight against it

• explain that the astronauts were reluctant to repair the telescope

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5 Delays were not new to the Hubble team. Originally, the telescope was completed and scheduled to be sent into orbit in 1983, but the catastrophic accident of another space shuttle set the launch back several years. The United States’ confidence had been deeply shaken in the space program and no one wanted to push a space project that would require manned service trips on a regular basis. NASA first had to demonstrate significant improvement in its safety systems before it was permitted to launch the telescope. In addition, once launched, the initial transfer of images back to Earth was delayed by a mathematical miscalculation. Astronomers working on the instructions for orienting the telescope relied on data from charts prepared in the 1950s. These charts proved to be inaccurate and caused the astronomers to misdirect the aim of the Hubble.

23. Why does the author mention “Delays were not new to the Hubble team”?

• to emphasize the many delays in constructing the telescope

• to explain how the Hubble aged during a waiting period

• to introduce more examples of setbacks first mentioned in the previous paragraph

• to explain the reason for the Hubble creators’ frustration

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6 Despite the difficulties and risks involved in undertaking such an ambitious project, most of the people that participated, as well as the researchers that study the telescope’s images, would likely deem the project worth the hardships that were endured. The field of astrophysics, in particular has benefited from the images sent back. One of the most remarkable feats aided by the telescope is the ability of astrophysicists to predict the rate at which the universe is expanding to a far more accurate degree than has ever been possible. Not only has the telescope assisted with numerous scientific breakthroughs, it has also greatly improved public relations for astronomy. Many of its breathtaking images have been released to the public, creating a stronger interest in the field of astronomy.

24. In paragraph 6, the author includes the phrase “in particular” in order to emphasize

• the detailed images sent back from the telescope for study by astronomers

• the precision of repairs made to the telescope by the astronauts

• the field of study that has benefited from the telescope’s discoveries

• the specific problems encountered by astrophysicists working on the telescope

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