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ubble’s Advanced Camera for Surveys, or ACS, was responsible for many of Hubble’s most impressive images of deep space. With its wider field of view, sharper image quality, and enhanced sensitivity, the new camera doubled Hubble’s field of view and expanded its capabilities significantly when it was installed in March 2002. ACS could see in wavelengths from the far ultraviolet to visible light, making it capable of studying some of the earliest activity in the universe. It was the most popular instrument for observers. In January 2007, however, ACS experienced an electrical short that put two of its three cameras out of commission. ACS contains a trio of cameras: the wide field camera, the high-resolution camera, and the solar blind camera. Each performed a specific function. The solar blind camera, which blocks visible light to enhance ultraviolet sensitivity, focuses on hot stars or planets radiating ultraviolet wavelengths. It is the only ACS camera currently functioning. With a field of view twice that of WFPC2, ACS's wide field camera conducted broad surveys of the universe. Astronomers used it to study the nature and distribution of galaxies, which revealed clues about how our universe evolved. The high-resolution camera took extremely detailed pictures of the inner regions of galaxies. It searched neighboring stars for planets and planets-to be, and took close-up images of the planets in our own solar system. Making Room
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