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The Hong Kong Space Museum's latest omnimax show, "Hubble", invites the audience to participate in the final Hubble space mission, as astronauts work on essential tasks to extend the famous space telescope's life before its retirement. Viewers will watch at close range as the astronauts work in space, and experience the breathtaking moment of the space shuttle's liftoff. The show began screening in March and will continue until August 31.
The Hubble Space Telescope has long been one of the world's most important astronomical instruments and has helped astronomers explore the universe since its launch in 1990. Located beyond the atmosphere and operated in low Earth orbit about 600km above the Earth's surface, the Hubble can capture pictures with clarity and resolution unattainable by ground-based telescopes.
NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has unveiled many mysteries of the universe since its launch two decades ago. Using the clear and detailed pictures captured by the telescope, scientists have been able to witness the birth and death of stars, discover distant galaxies, locate black holes, detect dark energy, comprehend the process of planet formation and accurately calculate the age of the universe.
Seven NASA astronauts travelled on the Space Shuttle Atlantis on May 11, 2009 on the 11-day STS-125 mission to repair and upgrade the Hubble Space Telescope, aiming to extend its operational life until at least 2014.
The Space Shuttle Atlantis succeeded in getting alongside Hubble while travelling at 28,000km per hour. The astronauts' mission was to install a wide field camera, replace three rate sensor units, remove the Corrective Optics Space Telescope Axial Replacement (COSTAR), and replace the fragile circuit boards of the advanced survey camera.
An exhibition with illustrative panels has been set up in the lobby of the Space Museum to enable visitors to learn more about Hubble and its achievements.
The 45-minute omnimax show will be screened daily at 1.30pm, 5pm and 8.30pm at the Museum's Stanley Ho Space Theatre. The museum is closed on Tuesdays (except public holidays).
Tickets are available at the Space Museum Box Office and at all URBTIX outlets for $24 (front stalls) and $32 (stalls). Full-time students, senior citizens aged 60 or above and people with disabilities will receive a half-price concession.
The Space Museum is located at 10 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon. For further information, call 2721 0226 or visit the website at hk.space.museum.
Ends/Friday, March 4, 2011
Issued at HKT 18:17
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