Hubble Space Telescope takes striking image of distant galaxy after surviving glitch

The 34-year-old space observatory had been offline for several weeks due to a malfunctioning gyroscope

The Hubble Space Telescope has recorded images the galaxy NGC 1546, located in the constellation Dorado. Photo: Hubble / Nasa

The Hubble Space Telescope has resumed scientific operations and captured a detailed image of a distant galaxy, after weeks of inactivity due to technical issues.

This follows a transition to a new operational mode relying on a single gyroscope – a critical instrument for controlling and orienting the telescope.

The ageing observatory, which was launched in 1990, entered safe mode on May 24 because of a malfunctioning gyro that prevented its operations.

We’re poised now for many years of discovery ahead

Dr Jennifer Wiseman,
senior project scientist for Hubble

When built, it was fitted with six gyros, but only three remain active. Nasa decided a few weeks ago to save two for future use and utilise just one to resume operations.

“Hubble’s new image of a spectacular galaxy demonstrates the full success of our new, more stable pointing mode for the telescope,” said Dr Jennifer Wiseman, senior project scientist for Hubble at Nasa.

“We’re poised now for many years of discovery ahead, and we’ll be looking at everything from our Solar System to exoplanets to distant galaxies.”

The Hubble Space Telescope was launched in 1990. Reuters

The new image features galaxy NGC 1546, which is located in the constellation Dorado, 169 light years away from Earth.

It shows the galaxy's dust lanes, which are backlit by its core, as well as several background galaxies, including a spiral one positioned to the left of NGC 1546.

Even though Nasa has figured out a way to extend Hubble's operations, there are now minor limitations on the telescope's data-gathering abilities, due to the decision to use only one gyro.

These include needing more time to turn and lock on to a target, meaning it will not have as much flexibility as to where it can observe at any given time.

The telescope will also not be able to track moving objects closer than Mars, though Nasa said that these are rare occurrences anyway.

Hubble, which has cost Nasa more than $16 billion so far, has been observing the universe for more than three decades – long exceeding its original expected mission lifespan of 15 years.

Despite its ageing hardware, Hubble continues to deliver groundbreaking scientific findings. These include data helping scientists to measure the universe’s expansion rate, detailed images of nebulas – also known as star nurseries – and uncovering the presence of water vapour in the atmospheres of planets outside our Solar System.

Over the years, it has faced multiple technical issues requiring numerous repairs and upgrades, including five servicing missions by space shuttle crews.

The James Webb Space Telescope, a $10 billion observatory, was launched in 2021 and is 100 times more powerful than Hubble.

It operates primarily in the infrared spectrum, allowing it to peer through cosmic dust and observe the universe's earliest galaxies and star formations.

The “time travel machine” has already made significant discoveries, including observations of the Cartwheel Galaxy, detecting water in the atmosphere of the exoplanet WASP-96b and capturing the most detailed images of the Southern Ring Nebula.