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CNN Live Today

New Pictures Released From Hubble Telescope

Aired April 30, 2002 - 13:45   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Jubilation is NASA's reaction to the latest pictures from the newly repaired Hubble Space Telescope. Ann Kellan has been waiting for these photos and joins us now...

ANN KELLAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Long time today, yes. It's kind of exciting. We are going to see the first snaps from this $75 million camera. Let's take a look at the first one. The first one is called the tadpole. And what you are seeing is a number of galaxies 420 million light years away. These are the clearest pictures we have ever been able to see of something of this sort. And the next one is so...

HEMMER: It looks like a tadpole.

KELLAN: ... cool, is the mice. And what you're seeing are two galaxies on a collision course with each other. You are going to see them colliding here, as what's going to happen in the future with those galaxies. But, basically, it is a look of what is going to happen to our own galaxy which is on a collision course with Andromeda. But we don't have to worry. That is only 4 or 5 billion years.

These are other pictures that you're seeing that were taken with this new advanced camera for surveys. And the scientists, I have to tell you, they were just amazed by how clear and precise these pictures are, so much better. You might remember, like two months ago, they replaced the faint object camera, which was onboard Hubble. Astronauts went out tethered to Columbia and switched out the old camera with a new one. So basically, this is a test drive, taking shots to see what this new camera can show them. And they are just so elated at what they were able to see.

HEMMER: You know, they really -- they were urgent in trying to get this telescope operating at a more, shall we say, modern-day fashion.

KELLAN: Well, there were problems with it. You know, they had a few problems. And now they are saying it is up and running and things are going well. That's the space walk, when they actually put the new camera onboard. But yes, you're right, and they made a lot of repairs in those space walks.

HEMMER: Some of these pictures are fantastic.

KELLAN: Yes.

HEMMER: And the precision in the photograph is just amazing.

KELLAN: And they can see it 10 times further than they saw before.

HEMMER: And so, I'm wondering, what are they saying about the next generation of equipment, because certainly they will not stop here?

KELLAN: Oh, I'm sure. Optics will continue to improve, processing power, computer power. And obviously, you know, some day 10 years from now, they are going to want to say let's go back up again and switch out the parts. But right now, we are playing with the new toys and they're very exciting.

HEMMER: You know, that picture you showed really did look like a tadpole.

KELLAN: Did it?

(CROSSTALK)

And the mice too.

HEMMER: ... to go ahead and figure out what you see in that galaxy through Hubble.

KELLAN: Lots of galaxies.

HEMMER: Good stuff. Thank you, Ann. Ann Kellan.

KELLAN: You're welcome.

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