I watched this remarkable segment on 60 Minutes last night. It was mind-boggling, amazing, nearly incalculable, almost beyond comprehension for the average or above average person and breathtaking.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/60-minutes-spectacular-revelations-courtesy-of-hubble/
So you think you are somebody?? So you think you are important?? In all of your arrogance, you think you are significant?? Think again; YOU/WE ARE NOTHING.
We look at information like in the video, many of us would like to think we understand it, BUTT even the most well-educated scientist can say the words, BUTT can they truly explain or understand the complexity, enormity of outer space.
Take the time to watch the video and you will see what I mean. It is way beyond mind-boggling!!
One of the comments made by a scientist who was interviewed, comparing the size of the Earth to the rest of the planets in the universe; the Earth is so insignificant, it is considered less than 1 grain of sand on all of the beaches in the world combined. Tell me you think you are important.
Next time you are at the beach, grab a hand full of sand and if you have the patience, count the grains. How many handfuls do we think there are on all the beaches in the world. It is an impossible number to come up with. WE ARE NOTHING.
All of the people with billion$ – all of the people with million$ – all of the celebs and politicians that put themselves on a pedestal – all of the war mongers – all of the ego-maniac that want to control the world – all of the Boulder Rollers – all of the wanna-bees ( I call them all flash and no cash) – they are NOTHING.
IF everyone on the planet Earth was honest with themselves, took the time to evaluate who they really, they would see they are NOTHING BUTT an insignificant microscopic piece of dust floating around, if that.
If nothing else, being humbled by the numbers, should give us the impetus to try and co-exist. Life is too short – life is too fragile – life goes by in a flash – life is too precious for us to keep Rolling Boulders at one another. These are facts of life the SUPER-ARROGANT people do not want to admit. In the big scheme of things; they are NOTHING.
There doesn’t have to be wars – terrorism – hatred among people – gang violence – out of control drug use, these are ALL mind-sets, decisions and choices people make for themselves; many of whom think there are significant. They are NOTHING.
Take a good look at this video and admit to yourself we all are NOTHING and just passing through. It should be our primary purpose in life to make our short journey as productive as possible. Make it a better place for those who follow us. The keys words being, tolerance and acceptance = peace.
Let the Hubble telescope and the video humble us and bring all back down to earth.
![]() The Hubble Space Telescope as seen from the departing Space Shuttle Atlantis, flying Servicing Mission 4 (STS-125), the fifth and final Hubble mission
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Mission type | Astronomy | ||
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Operator | NASA · ESA · STScI | ||
COSPAR ID | 1990-037B | ||
SATCAT no. | 20580 | ||
Website | www.nasa.gov/hubble hubblesite.org www.spacetelescope.org |
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Mission duration | Elapsed: 28 years, 2 months, 28 days | ||
Spacecraft properties | |||
Manufacturer | Lockheed (spacecraft) Perkin-Elmer (optics) |
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Launch mass | 11,110 kg (24,490 lb)[1] | ||
Dimensions | 13.2 m × 4.2 m (43.3 ft × 13.8 ft)[1] | ||
Power | 2,800 watts | ||
Start of mission | |||
Launch date | April 24, 1990, 12:33:51 UTC[2] | ||
Rocket | Space Shuttle Discovery (STS-31) | ||
Launch site | Kennedy LC-39B | ||
Deployment date | April 25, 1990[1] | ||
Entered service | May 20, 1990[1] | ||
End of mission | |||
Decay date | estimated 2030–2040[3] | ||
Orbital parameters | |||
Reference system | Geocentric | ||
Regime | Low Earth | ||
Semi-major axis | 6,917.5 km (4,298.3 mi) | ||
Eccentricity | 0.000287 | ||
Perigee | 537.4 km (333.9 mi) | ||
Apogee | 541.4 km (336.4 mi) | ||
Inclination | 28.47° | ||
Period | 95.47 minutes 1.35.25.83 | ||
RAAN | 176.23° | ||
Argument of perigee | 82.61° | ||
Mean anomaly | 319.41° | ||
Mean motion | 15.09 rev/day | ||
Velocity | 7.59 km/s (4.72 mi/s) | ||
Epoch | December 26, 2017, 13:18:33 UTC[4] | ||
Revolution no. | 31,936 | ||
Main telescope | |||
Type | Ritchey–Chrétien reflector | ||
Diameter | 2.4 m (7.9 ft)[5] | ||
Focal length | 57.6 m (189 ft)[5] | ||
Focal ratio | f/24 | ||
Collecting area | 4.525 m2 (48.7 sq ft)[5] | ||
Wavelengths | Near-infrared, visible light, ultraviolet | ||
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Instruments | |
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NICMOS | Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer |
ACS | Advanced Camera for Surveys |
WFC3 | Wide Field Camera 3 |
COS | Cosmic Origins Spectrograph |
STIS | Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph |
FGS | Fine Guidance Sensor |
If we think the Hubble telescope is amazing, there is a new one coming out in a couple of years called the James Web that will replace it and is substantially more powerful than the Hubble.
![]() A rendering of the James Webb Space Telescope with its components fully deployed.
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Mission type | Astronomy | ||
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Operator | NASA / ESA / CSA / STScI[1] | ||
Website | jwst.nasa.gov sci.esa.int/jwst asc-csa.gc.ca jwst.stsci.edu |
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Mission duration | 5 years (design) 10 years (goal) |
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Spacecraft properties | |||
Manufacturer | Northrop Grumman Ball Aerospace |
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Launch mass | 6,500 kg (14,300 lb)[2] | ||
Dimensions | 20.197 m × 14.162 m (66.26 ft × 46.46 ft) (sunshield) | ||
Power | 2,000 watts | ||
Start of mission | |||
Launch date | March 30, 2021 (planned)[3] | ||
Rocket | Ariane 5 ECA | ||
Launch site | Kourou ELA-3 | ||
Contractor | Arianespace | ||
Orbital parameters | |||
Reference system | Sun–Earth L2 | ||
Regime | Halo orbit | ||
Periapsis | 374,000 km (232,000 mi)[4] | ||
Apoapsis | 1,500,000 km (930,000 mi)[4] | ||
Period | 6 months | ||
Epoch | plan | ||
Main | |||
Type | Korsch telescope | ||
Diameter | 6.5 m (21 ft) | ||
Focal length | 131.4 m (431 ft) | ||
Collecting area | 25 m2 (270 sq ft) | ||
Wavelengths | from 0.6 µm (orange) to 28.5 µm (mid-infrared) |
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Transponders | |||
Band | S-band (TT&C support) Ka band (data acquisition) |
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Bandwidth | S-band up: 16 kbit/s S-band down: 40 kbit/s Ka band down: up to 28 Mbit/s |
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Instruments | |
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NIRCam | Near IR Camera |
NIRSpec | Near-Infrared Spectrograph |
MIRI | Mid IR Instrument |
NIRISS | Near Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph |
FGS | Fine Guidance Sensor Elements:
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