Hubblecast 40: Wide Field Camera 3 - Hubble's New Miracle Camera

[HubbleESA]

Hi Digephil -

There's an X-shaped strut which holds up one of the mirrors in the telescope assembly. This affects the light as it passes through the telescope and causes faint cross shapes to be projected around bright stars. This is very common in telescopes - not just Hubble.

[Kraktzor]

Yeah I know, this is so cool!

[TheBetterGame]

it is sad so few people watch videos like this :(

[Digephil]

what causes the crosses that come from bright points of light?

[superdau]

@Digephil

As far as I know, it's caused by the beams that hold the second (smaller) mirror of the telescope. It's some kind of interference/diffraction pattern.