Hubble Space Telescope explained to kids

The Hubble Space Telescope is a large telescope that orbits Earth. It is named after the American astronomer Edwin Hubble. The telescope was launched into space by NASA in 1990. The telescope is about the size of a school bus. It weighs about 11 tons. The telescope has a very powerful camera. This camera can take pictures of very faint stars and galaxies. The telescope orbits Earth at a height of about 590 kilometers (370 miles). It completes one orbit every 97 minutes. The telescope does not use any fuel. This is because it uses Earth's gravity to keep it in orbit. The telescope has made many important discoveries. For example, it has helped scientists to understand the age and size of the universe. The telescope is not perfect. Over time, its mirrors have become slightly dirty. This makes the pictures it takes a little bit blurry. NASA sends astronauts to space to clean the mirrors. They do this about every five years. The Hubble Space Telescope is an important tool for scientists. It has helped us to learn a lot about our universe.