How the Hubble Deep Field Was Taken

Since I made the "Most Important Image" video, I have consistently gotten emails asking how the image was taken in the first place.

Here is a video from HubbleSite.org that does a great job of telling the story of how the first Hubble Deep Field was taken in 1995.

What many people don't know is that the decision to try and take this image was very risky for the project scientists. Time on the Hubble telescope is in very high demand and very competitive and using it to stare at an empty patch of sky was considered a waste, especially if nothing turned up.

It was far from clear that the telescope would see anything at all after such long exposures. The risk paid off however, and the rest is history.


CREDIT: NASA and STSci (created under NASA contract and is public domain)

http://hubblesite.org/gallery/movie_theater/lookdeep/

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• hubble deep field
• hubble telescope
• most important image

[MartinJWillett]

At this moment across the other side of the universe other beings may be viewing the stars that died to gave us our heavy elements. But will they have Pink Floyd?

[daviddeath11]

its amazing what they could do 50 years ago, look at it all now, imagine it in another 50 years!

[henchicken1]

i wonder how many life forms may be looking back at us!

[Aviatorsmith]

@zcmini000 The universe is expanding faster than the speed of light.

[zcmini000]

@MuziKFreak009 That's exactly my point. Two points in the universe should not be more than 28 billion light years apart? (14 x 2 = 28)

I don't understand how two objects, at this time, could possibly be further apart then that

[MuziKFreak009]

@zcmini000 Cause the universe is expanding in all directions, two seperate objects move away from eachother and double the distance they make

[zcmini000]

Here's what I don't understand.

If the Big Bang happened 14 billion years ago.

How can objects be 46 billion light years apart from each other?

Logically, they could only be, let's say, 28 billion light years apart, if they were moving at the speed of light?

Help!!!

[niznet111]

Awsome!

[erickabeutler]

love it, keep on posting :)

[banderastube]

It's simply absurde to believe even today that we are alone in this universe

[jetair7]

Religion is an attempt to socialize the experience of personal contact with spirit. Most organizations of people have membership criteria and rules. That is the nature of social systems. People are social. Religions serve a social role. God does not require religion, but personal experience with the creator can move some people to a social response. People create religions, God creates persons. Yes, God also creates all that Hubble sees, yes this is not the only inhabited sphere

[pandsales]

Has anybody ever considered that there is a differnece between believing in god, or whatever you wanna call the universe,creation etc., and RELIGION? I mean yeah ok maybe there is some kind of power or whatever that created everything, but why are you all people so sure that is god through YOUR religion? and why do I have to follow religion's "RULES" in order to go to "heaven"???? Any anwsers on that?