By John Roach, contributor
Introduction
The Hubble Space Telescope has reshaped our understanding of the cosmos and dazzled the public with images such as the one above, showing the star-forming region known as the \"Pillars of Creation.\" Hubble isn’t the only scientific eye in the sky. Since its launch in 1990, Hubble has been joined by a fleet of orbital observatories. Click the \"Next\" arrow above to learn about six other great telescopes — and one more that is still to come. | ![\"Hubble](\"http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photo/_new/081007_HubbleIntro-hmed.htease.jpg\") |
1991: Compton goes after high-energy gamma rays
| Some of the most violent events in the universe are invisible to the human eye. They occur in a spectrum of light called gamma rays, the most energetic photons in the electromagnetic spectrum. The Compton Gamma Ray Observatory, a 17-ton behemoth, was launched from the space shuttle Atlantis in 1991 to view the high-energy universe. The Instruments on the observatory opened the world's eyes to the distribution of gamma ray bursts, allowing scientists to produce maps such as the one above that shows bursts concentrated along the galactic plane. The observatory was safely maneuvered out of orbit to its doom in 2000 after one of its gyroscopes failed. | ![\"The](\"http://msnbcmedia2.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photo/_new/081007-telescope-2.htease.jpg\") |
1999: Chandra gives astronomers X-ray vision
| Fictional superheroes such as Superman have long been graced with X-ray vision, a superpower that allows them to see things invisible to mortal eyes. Real world astronomy embraced the power with the 1999 launch of the Chandra X-ray Observatory, right, which observes objects such as black holes and supernovae in the highly energetic form of light. The Chandra image above of the 340-year-old supernova remnant Cassiopeia A taught astronomers that the exploded stars may be a key source for cosmic rays, high-energy particles that bombard the earth. | ![\"Chandra](\"http://msnbcmedia4.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photo/_new/081007_telescope3b-hmed.htease.jpg\") |
1999: XMM-Newton, Europe's X-ray telescope
| European astronomers got their own X-ray observatory with the December 1999 launch of the X-ray Multi-Mirror satellite, now known as XMM-Newton, above. The satellite, which is equipped with three X-ray telescopes, is revered for a highly eccentric orbit that allows long, uninterrupted observations of deep space. Breakthroughs include observations of the largest cluster of galaxies ever seen in the distant, early universe. The presence of the giant cluster, right, confirms the existence of the enigmatic force called dark energy, which is believed to cause the expansion of the universe to accelerate. Such massive clusters could have formed only early in the universe, scientists said. | ![\"cluster](\"http://msnbcmedia4.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photo/_new/081007-telescope4b.vmed.vsmall.jpg\") |
2001: WMAP probes structure of early universe
| Radiant heat unleashed about 380,000 years after the big bang, the theoretical beginning of the universe, is known as the cosmic microwave background radiation. A NASA spacecraft launched in 1992 detected minute variations in this heat. The Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe, launched in 2001, has been studying these variations in much finer detail, giving scientists a snapshot of the state of the universe soon after the big bang. A map of the early universe made from WMAP data, above, was released in 2003. Among other findings, the data confirm the universe is 13.7 billion years old. | ![\"Wilkinson](\"http://msnbcmedia1.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photo/_new/081007-telescope5b-hmed.htease.jpg\") |
2003: Spitzer peers through clouds of gas and dust
Have you ever topped a ridge, only to find the expected jaw-dropping view cloaked in fog? Thick clouds of interstellar gas and dust pose a similar problem for astronomers keen to get a bead on distant stars and galaxies. The Spitzer Space Telescope at right, launched in 2003, overcomes the problem by gathering infrared light, an invisible form of electromagnetic radiation associated with heat that isn't blocked by the clouds. Its cameras have given astronomers unprecedented views of galaxies, newly forming planetary systems and star-forming regions such as the one known as W5, above. | ![\"Spitzer](\"http://msnbcmedia1.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photo/_new/081007-telescope6b-vmed.htease.jpg\") |
2008: Fermi telescope to study black holes
Black holes are best-known as vortexes in space that suck in everything around them. But as they devour stars, they also spew gamma-ray-emitting jets of gas outwards at nearly light speed. What's going on? An answer may come from a space telescope launched in June 2008 that studies the highly energetic form of radiation. The Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, shown here, may also shed light on dark matter, the source of gamma ray bursts, and perhaps something completely unexpected about the most extreme environments in the universe."; Tech_8GreatTelescopes[i++] = new Array("","2013: Hubble's successor may see first stars","","http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photo/_new/081007-telescope7-hmed.hmedium.jpg","","Image: James Webb Space Telescope", "", "", "", "", "", "", "NASA", "273", "364", "#000000", "", "", "", ""); Tech_8GreatTelescopes[i-1].body = "
2013: Hubble's successor may see first stars
The James Webb Space Telescope, scheduled for launch in 2013, will view the sky with about seven times the light-gathering capacity of the Hubble Space Telescope. This ability may allow the new telescope, regarded as Hubble's successor, to see the first stars and galaxies of the universe. At the heart of the giant telescope are 18 hexagonal mirrors, shown here in a life-size model, that work in unison to focus on objects in the distant, young universe. The findings could provide clues on everything from the formation of stars, galaxies and planets to the evolution of our own solar system."; // END editorial data