I just attended the monthly Teachers' Thursday at the MD Science Center (which is also the official HST National Visitor Center , I might add). Tonight's guest speaker was Max Mutchler, Senior Data Analyst at STScI in Baltimore.

I had the chance to ask him about the threat of Hubble not being able to be re-serviced due to the loss of Columbia. He replied the word they were given was to continue planning as if still on schedule. So, maybe there is hope.

Interestingly, there are only two more scheduled re-servicings of Hubble - one in 2006, I believe it was, and the final in 2010. Also in 2010-2011 or there abouts, they plan on launching a successor to Hubble called the James Webb Space Telescope. This telescope will be geared towards IR light so it can study the early universe.

Early in the presentation, he mentioned some upcoming pictures to be released. One is the Ultra Deep Field. I believe he said it will be released this summer. The other is another imaging of the Helix Nebula to be released during Astronomy Day, May 10, 2003. Interestingly, this image was taken during the last Leonids Meteor shower, Nov. 19, 2002. It just so happened that the Helix Nebula was in the direction Hubble was turned toward in order to point away from the meteor shower. Convenient!

During the presentation, he made a reference to how some people are spreading hoax beliefs about UFO's by Photoshop'ing NASA pictures (he showed one of the infamous SOHO doctored images). I used teh opportunity to promote the Bad Astronomy web site to the other educators in the room. (Aren't you all proud of me? )

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"As I lay beneath the Southern Cross, the stars tell more than I could" . . . David Meece

The website says 2005, but that's probably tentative considering the shuttle situation.

I think that was originally supposed to be the last servicing mission, but with the delays on the JWST (which was originally supposed to launch in 2007, I believe), there's talk of an additional one.

Personally, it would make sense to me to keep Hubble going as long as the systems can hold out. Even if JWST is in place, it's still a unique instrument.

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Everything I need to know I learned through Googling.

I second that! The Hale scope at Mt. Palomar was not mothballed just because The Keck scopes came online. All the major scopes are overbooked, no matter how many "bigger and better" scopes get built. There will always be work for the Hubble. 8)

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Any day you wake up on "the right side of the dirt" is a good day.

T. Anderson

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Everything I need to know I learned through Googling.

Now that would be cool! I can only imagine how much longer the lines will be for that museum!

girlgeek

I agree with ToSeek and KK. Keep it up there until they run out of duct tape and coathanger wire. (they can't fix it any more)

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It's just one of those damn things of which there are many few. -- Dan Blocker

It's a shame to think that such a productive piece of equipment will have to be retired from scientific work!

Amen. Some of the most astounding images of space ever seen are from the Hubble. After all of the hoopla over the flawed mirror after its launch, it redeemed itself in fine fashion. Hate to see it go.

Just wait for the Twinkies to say it was never in orbit, and all the Hubble photos are faked!

So many sites, so little time.... The Sloan Digital Sky survey is making great progress.

Those sound like great Thursdays, Neb.

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