Unit7:

Hubble

Summary

We being humans can only see darkness on the sky, and cannot observe and understand the true
nature of heavenly objects with our naked eyes. However, with the invention of “Hubble Space
Telescope”, a number of galaxies and distant objects have been exposed to humanity. In 1983,
NASA, named the telescope after the early 20th century American astronomer Edwin P. Hubble
(1889-1953) who in 1920s discovered that galaxies are huge, remote systems of billions of stars.
Since its launch in 1990, the Hubble telescope made more than one million observations and looked
at over 38000 celestial bodies. The most powerful camera was installed on Hubble in 2009. It is
filled with more than half million images; and its collection of astronomical data is equivalent to
about 50 million books.
The concept of a telescope in orbit around Earth was first introduced by Arthur C. Clark. Initially,
scientists tried to use Hubble telescope to measure the expansion rate of the universe, to find distant
galaxies and to determine the chemical content of the space between the galaxies. Hubble orbits
Earth at the speed of 5 miles per second. During the course of the year, Hubble circles Earth over
5000 times. Hubble‟s supervision has enabled us that there is another universe an “undiscovered
country”. Hubble has thoroughly studied stars. The closest star to our Earth is the sun. stars are born
in clouds of gas and dust. Scientists using Hubble can determine the luminosities and temperature
of stars.
Galaxies are vast cosmic islands of stars, gas and dark matter held together by gravity. Astronomers
classify galaxies into three major categories: Elliptical, Spiral and Irregular. The distance between
the galaxies seem large, so too are galaxies‟ diameters. Compared to stars, galaxies are relatively
closed to one another. They not only interact but also collide. The most distant galaxies look
strange, smaller, irregular lacking clearly defined shapes. No telescope before Hubble had the
resolution to see these distant galaxies. The appearance and make up of galaxies are shaped over
billions of years by interaction with groups of stars and other galaxies.
Our universe started with a bang and has been expanding ever since. The space between galaxies is
increasing with time. Astronomers suggest that the universe is expanding whereas scientists
estimate the age of the universe as 13.8 billion years based on the rate of expansion. Hubble studied
exoplanet HD 209458 b. in 2000 , and became the first telescope to directly detect an exoplanet
atmosphere and survey its makeup. In the atmosphere of exoplanet HD 189733 b, Hubble detected
methane. This was the first organic molecule discovered outside our solar system. Hubble telescope
has predicted that water could exist on planets‟ surfaces. Hubble space telescope has made great
contribution in detecting and studying planets around other stars. Its longevity, stability,
instrumental sensitivity and precision have enabled us to understand the alien world i.e.
“undiscovered world” where in future life may exist among the stars on the planet.
 Reading Comprehension
1. Why did cosmologists need a telescope in space well above the Earth’s atmosphere?

The cosmologists needed a telescope in space well above the Earth‟s atmosphere to get a
clearer view of the planets, stars and galaxies because the turbulent atmosphere blurred the
humans‟ vision. They wanted a telescope to measure the expansion rate of the universe, to
find distant galaxies and to determine the chemical content of the space between the galaxies.
But more importantly, it would answer questions that astronomers do not know how to ask
and find objects that were not yet conceived.
2. What does the author mean by the sentence ‘when we look at stars we look at
history’?
By the statement „when we look at stars we look at history‟, the writer means that the light which
arrives at our location from farthest objects in the universe, is the light that left those objects
billions of years ago, so we see them as they appeared long ago. The telescope look at the present
time pattern of a beam of light while this beam of light has been travelling through the space for
millions of years to reach us. History tells about the past events in the present time.
3. Why will life on Earth not disturb even if our galaxy Milkyway collides with its
neighboring Andromeda?
Astronomers have been saying that the galaxy, the Milky Way, is destined someday to collide
with the next-nearest spiral galaxy, Andromeda, but the life on Earth will not get disturbed
because when galaxies collide, they pass through each other; their stars do not crash into each
other due to the immense distance between them. It can only distort a galaxy‟s shape. It is likely
the sun will be flung into a new region of our galaxy, but our Earth and solar system are in no
danger of being destroyed, as it is now 2.5 million light years away. However, it is falling
towards the Milky Way under the mutual pull gravity between the two galaxies and the invisible
dark matter that surrounds them both.
4. What is the Hubble deep Field?
The Hubble Deep Field is the stunning image in the constellation constructed from a series of
observation. It was taken by the Hubble Space telescope after observing and focusing on a small
empty space of sky for ten days. It was observed that the empty patch of sky contained more than
10000 galaxies passing through various stages of evolution. These galaxies covered the area
smaller than pinhead held at arm‟s length. The photograph of empty patches in the entire sky
require thirteen million Hubble images. This exposure of the image was called the Hubble Deep
Field.
5. How does the formation of stars take place in star nurseries?
Stars are born in clouds of gas and dust. One such stellar nursery is the Orion Nebula, an
enormous cloud of gas and dust many light-years across. Turbulence from deep within these
clouds creates high density regions called knots. These knots contain sufficient mass that the gas
and dust can begin to collapse from gravitational attraction. As it collapses, pressure from gravity
causes the material at the center to heat up, creating a proto star. One day, this core becomes hot
enough to ignite fusion and a star is born.
 6. How do scientists study the atmosphere of an exoplanet through ‘fingerprint
technique’?
Hubble has become the first telescope to directly detect an exoplanet‟s atmosphere and survey its
makeup. It is done through „fingerprint technique‟, as a planet passes between its star and us, a
small amount of light from the star is absorbed by the gas in the planet's atmosphere, leaving
chemical „fingerprints‟ in the star‟s light. Scientists study that light having the fingerprints, and
on the basis of those fingerprints they come to know about the atmosphere of an exoplanet. In the
case of HD 209458 b, Hubble detected the signature of sodium that didn‟t belong to the star. It
was the mark of sodium gas in the atmosphere of the planet.
7. How will you explain in astronomical terms the statement, ‘what you see is not
Always what you get’?
When we look at the night sky, we primarily see darkness and drifting sparks over our heads,
scattered across the sky and we cannot see their true nature. Through our naked eyes, we see one
thing, but what the astronomers have found are quite differently astonishing. As in the sky, stars
look like tiny points of light but they are not tiny; they are huge burning balls of gas such as sun.
We consider ourselves sitting still but we are not because the Earth spines us with it. That‟s why,
the true nature of the sky is beyond our sight and what we see is not what we are discovering.

Activity(p.73-76)
A. Match the idioms in column A to their exact meanings in column B. Answers
1. To brighten up: To become more cheerful
2. To take a shine to: To develop a liking for
3. To make hay when the sun shines: To make the most of an opportunity while it lasts
4. Come rain or shine: Whatever the weather/situation
5. To chase rainbows: To pursue something that is impossible/impractical
6. To save for a rainy day: To put something aside for a future time in which it
May be needed
7. To wait for a rain drop in the drought: To wait/hope for something which has little chance
Of happening
8. Right as rain: Fit and Healthy
9. To take a rain check: To refuse an offer, while demonstrating enthusiasm
To accept it in the future
10. Into each life some rain must fall: Everyone must experience difficulties or ill fortune
At one time or another
11. To rain on someone‟s parade: To spoil someone‟s plan/to prevent someone from
Enjoying themselves
12. It never rains but it pours: Misfortunes seem to either all come in quick
Succession or all come at once
13. Raining cats and dogs: Raining heavily
14. Dryspell A period in which someone Is having less success
than usual
15. Windfall: A large amount of money that is won or received
Unexpectedly
16. To shoot the breeze: To have a casual conversation
17. To get wind of something: To hear a rumor about something
18. To know which way the wind blows: To understand what is happening in changing
Circumstances and be able to anticipate what will
happen in the future
19. To sail close to wind: To verge on the limit of what is acceptable, allowed
or honorable
20. To throw caution to the wind: To take great risk/to behave recklessly
21. Cloud storm on the horizon: Approaching problem
22. Every dark cloud has a silver lining: Every difficult situation has a more comforting and
Hopeful aspect
23. Cloud nine: A state of great happiness
24. To have your head in the clouds: To have unrealistic, impractical and fanciful ideas
25. I don‟t have the foggiest: I don‟t have a clue/I have no idea

C. Make new words and write their meanings.

1. Dissatisfied: Not happy with something
2. Misspell: Spell a word wrongly
3. Unacceptable: Intolerable
4. Reelection: The election of someone to a further term of office
 5. Interrelated: Connect to another
6. Prepay: Pay for in advance
7. Nonsense: Rubbish
8. Superscript: A letter written or printed above the line
9. Submerge: Flood
10. Antibacterial: Anything that destroys bacteria

D. Combine the phrases by placing nouns and noun phrases in apposition.

1. The first prime minister of Pakistan, Liaqat Ali Khan, was assassinated in 1951.
2. The river Indus, the longest river of Pakistan, has an annual flow of about 243 cubic
kilometers.
3. Ustad Ahmad Lahori, the chief architect of Taj Mahal, in Agra, India, was hailed from
Lahore.
4. John Kennedy, apopular US president, was known for his eloquent and inspirational
speeches.
5. The first country to recognize Pakistanis The Islamic Republic Iran, our neighboring
country.
6. My uncle‟s car, a sporty red convertible with buckets eats, is the envoy of my friends.
7. The chief surgeon, an expert in organ transplant procedures, took his daughter on a
hospital tour.
8. The problem, your late arrival, delayed the entire program.
9. The worry, who to invite, troubles me too much.
10. Hammad, my younger brother, is very dear to me.

E. Using the noun clauses given at the end, complete the following sentences.
1. The prize will be given to whoever stands first in class.
2. Do you know what time it is?
3. I don‟t understand what you are talking about.
4. What Umair said made his friends angry.
5. What Hurain wrote astonished her teachers.
6. How the girl behaved was not agreeable.
7. The food inspector checked that the food was hygienically safe.
8. She did not know where they live now.
9. His problem was that he couldn‟t speak fluently.
10. Hammad‟s great achievement at school was that he became the class proctor.
11. The teacher is not responsible for what the students decided to do.
12. The money will go to whichever charity you choose.
13. It‟s very disappointing that you failed in the examination.
14. They are perfectly happy that you are coming with us.
15. Umair runs so fast that he can out run a cat.