avaruustelescooppit

Avaruusteleskoopit, or space telescopes, are observatories placed in outer space to view celestial objects. Unlike ground-based telescopes, they are not limited by Earth's atmosphere, which can distort images, absorb radiation, and scatter light. This allows space telescopes to capture clearer images and observe a wider range of the electromagnetic spectrum, including wavelengths that are blocked by the atmosphere like ultraviolet, X-ray, and gamma-ray.

The first successful space telescope was the Orbiting Astronomical Observatory 2, launched in 1968. Since then, numerous space telescopes have been deployed, each designed to study different aspects of the universe. Notable examples include the Hubble Space Telescope, famous for its stunning images and groundbreaking discoveries across visible, ultraviolet, and near-infrared light. The James Webb Space Telescope, the successor to Hubble, focuses on infrared light, enabling it to peer further back in time and study the early universe, star formation, and exoplanet atmospheres.

Other specialized space telescopes include Chandra X-ray Observatory for high-energy X-ray astronomy, and the Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope for studying the most energetic photons. These instruments are crucial for advancing our understanding of cosmology, astrophysics, and planetary science. They provide data that complements ground-based observations and allows for a more comprehensive view of the cosmos.