Bruce Balick: Hubble Space Telescope and the Transformation of Modern Astronomy January 6, 2009

Science on Tap, in conjunction with KCTS9 and the Pacific Science
Center, presents:

Bruce Balick

Professor of Astronomy. U.W. and PSC Foundation

"Hubble Space Telescope and the Transformation of Modern Astronomy"

Galileo first looked skyward through a telescope in 1609.

Stunning images and many levels of enigmas were the immediate result.

Today, thanks to space observatories such as the Hubble Space

Telescope, the known Universe today is vastly larger, better

understood, more exciting, and exponentially more puzzling than ever

before. What's more, Hubble images have taken us to the intersection
of

cosmic science and art.

In 2009 we celebrate both the 20th year of the Hubble Space

Telescope and the 400th anniversary of Galileo's pioneering

accomplishments. Hubble and its sibling space platforms have led to a

phenomenal rebirth and invigoration of modern astronomy. In this talk

Professor Bruce Balick will focus on the Hubble story, including the
exciting enhancements

about to be realized in its cameras by the final servicing and repair

mission this winter. Much of the talk will survey the highlights of

the science that we've learned--and how we learned it--in the past
ten

years.