4IntermediateGeneralScience

Hubble Telescope: 36 Years of Amazing Discoveries

The Hubble Space Telescope is turning 36 years old and still works perfectly. It has changed how we understand the universe with stunning images and important scientific discoveries. Learn about its incredible journey from a broken mirror to one of humanity's greatest tools.

1 min readLevel 4March 24, 2026

By Flalingo Editorial Team

Vocabulary

Study these words before reading the article. Click the audio button to hear pronunciation.

observatory

/əbˈzɜːrvətɔːri/

noun

A building or place with special tools for watching the sky and stars

“The observatory on the mountain has a very large telescope.”

celebrated

/ˈselɪbreɪtɪd/

adjective

Very famous and admired by many people

“She is a celebrated scientist who has won many awards.”

remarkable

/rɪˈmɑːrkəbl/

adjective

Very unusual or special in a way that people notice

“The student made remarkable progress in just three months.”

flaw

/flɔː/

noun

A mistake or problem in something that makes it not perfect

“There was a small flaw in the glass, so they replaced it.”

inspire

/ɪnˈspaɪər/

verb

To give someone the feeling or idea to do something good or creative

“Great teachers can inspire students to follow their dreams.”

atmosphere

/ˈætməsfɪr/

noun

The layer of gases that surrounds the Earth

“The atmosphere protects us from the heat of the sun.”

Article

Click on any underlined word to see its definition. Highlighted words are from the vocabulary section.

The Hubble Space Telescope launched on April 24, 1990. It traveled to space aboard the shuttle Discovery. Now, 36 years later, it still works well. Hubble orbits Earth every 97 minutes at 330 miles high. It is the most celebrated observatory in history.

Hubble's numbers are truly remarkable. It has recorded nearly 1.7 million observations so far. Scientists have studied about 55,000 different space objects. The data has produced over 22,000 research papers. Hubble has also created over 400 terabytes of images.

Hubble had a serious problem at the beginning. Engineers discovered a tiny flaw in its mirror. This flaw caused all the images to be blurry. In 1993, astronauts fixed it during a special mission. They added corrective optics, which worked like a contact lens.

Before Hubble, telescopes on Earth had many limits. The atmosphere made it hard to see far away. Now, Hubble's famous images inspire people around the world. NASA plans a new telescope for the 2040s. It might be 100 times more powerful than Hubble.

Comprehension Quiz

Test your understanding of the article with these multiple-choice questions.

1
When was the Hubble Space Telescope launched?
2
What was the early problem with Hubble?
3
How many observations has Hubble recorded?
4
How often does Hubble orbit the Earth?
5
What is NASA planning for the 2040s?

Discussion

Answer these comprehension questions about the article.

1
When was the Hubble Space Telescope launched into space?
2
How many observations has Hubble recorded over its lifetime?
3
What problem did Hubble have shortly after its launch?
4
How did astronauts fix the mirror problem in 1993?
5
What does NASA plan to do in the 2040s?

Further Discussion

Share your opinions on these open-ended questions.

1
Have you ever looked at the night sky and wondered about the universe?
2
What do you think is the most exciting thing about space exploration?
3
If you could travel anywhere in space, where would you go and why?
4
Do you think governments should spend more money on space research?
5
How do you think technology will change space exploration in the future?