Where Is the Hubble Telescope in Orbit?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the orbital characteristics of the Hubble Space Telescope, specifically addressing misconceptions about its orbit, its visibility from Earth, and comparisons with the International Space Station (ISS).

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation
  • Exploratory

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants assert that Hubble is in geosynchronous orbit, while others clarify that it is actually in a Low Earth Orbit.
  • One participant notes that Hubble does not remain over the same point on Earth and moves quickly relative to the surface.
  • There are mentions of resources, such as NASA's timetable and apps, that help people track Hubble's visibility from their locations.
  • A participant highlights that Hubble has a lower inclination than the ISS, making it visible only from specific latitudes.
  • Some participants express confusion about the telescope's visibility and mistakenly refer to the ISS instead of Hubble.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus regarding the orbit type of the Hubble Space Telescope, with conflicting views on whether it is geosynchronous or in a Low Earth Orbit. The discussion includes multiple perspectives on its visibility and tracking.

Contextual Notes

There are unresolved assumptions regarding the definitions of orbital types and visibility conditions, as well as the accuracy of tracking resources mentioned.

lifeonmercury
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I've read that Hubble is in geosynchronous orbit, but precisely what point on Earth does it remain in orbit over?
 
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lifeonmercury said:
I've read that Hubble is in geosynchronous orbit
It isn't. It's in a Low Earth Orbit.
 
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I see. So it does not remain over the same point on Earth. Thanks.
 
No it doesn't, in fact it moves quite fast relative to the surface of the Earth.
From most parts of Earth it is easy to see passing overhead a few times a year at night.
Takes maybe 15 minutes to cross the sky at most.
NASA have a timetable which people can look at to find out what times are the best for sighting at your location..
https://spotthestation.nasa.gov/sightings/
 
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If you put the NASA app on your phone you can set it up to alert you when certain things are passing over your location. I have used it to spot the ISS once or twice. The windows of time are just a few minutes, and it goes by fairly quickly. I'm not sure how view able Hubble is.
 
Oooops! = major inattention on my part, I thought this was about ISS :H,
I'll put that down to overdoing it with multitasking, to many tabs open at once.
Anyway as said above, NASA do have a number of apps and websites where all the info of missions is available for the public.
(I think the Curiosity rover on Mars even has a presence on twitter!),
 
rootone said:
Oooops! = major inattention on my part, I thought this was about ISS :H,
I'll put that down to overdoing it with multitasking, to many tabs open at once.
Anyway as said above, NASA do have a number of apps and websites where all the info of missions is available for the public.
(I think the Curiosity rover on Mars even has a presence on twitter!),

If the NASA app was working on my phone, I'd be able to check, but it seems it stopped working after that last android update.
 
The Hubble telescope has a lower inclination than the ISS, you need to be south of ~45°N and north of ~45°S to see it. It is one of the brightest objects in the sky for a few minutes if it flies overhead shortly before sunrise / after sunset (it has to be in the sun while the ground has to be in the darkness).

45°N is a line going through northern Italy (Milano), Crimea, central Maine, Ottawa, North/South Dakota border, Washington/Oregon border and so on.
 

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