Hand-Held Hubble: The Real Telescope Compared

On this page:

• Overview
• Reference Photos
• Size Comparison

The Hubble Space Telescope orbits 353 miles (569 km) above the surface of the Earth.
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Figure 1: HST exterior
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Figure 2: HST interior
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The diagrams at the left show many of the parts of the Hubble Space Telescope featured in our models. The expert paper model allows you the option to build the interior (figure 2) of the telescope, while the PVC and paper models focus primarily on the exterior (figure 1).

Most of the parts visible on the exterior of the telescope models are parts of Hubble’s spacecraft systems, which make it possible for the telescope to orbit the Earth and gather light from the universe. Among these parts are the solar panels, which help power the telescope and charge its batteries; the aperture door, which allows light into the telescope and closes to protect it from debris; and the light baffle, which keeps unwanted light from interfering with observations.

To create images, Hubble’s primary mirror reflects the light from the object being observed toward a secondary mirror. The secondary mirror then focuses the light and reflects it toward the science instruments, which record it and send it back to Earth as a stream of data. For more information about how the data become pictures, visit Behind the Pictures.

The science instruments – the parts that actually “take” Hubble’s pictures – are located in the aft shroud, behind the primary mirror. The science instruments available for construction in the expert paper model are the instruments that were installed during the NASA astronauts’ fourth mission to the telescope in 2002. For more information on Hubble’s instruments, visit Nuts and Bolts.

The outside of the telescope is covered in a blanket of reflective insulation that protects the telescope from extreme temperatures. It also has handrails and door latches for the astronauts who periodically visit the telescope to perform repairs and install new instruments. Hubble’s vision has improved with each successive mission. To learn more about what goes into a servicing mission, visit Team Hubble. Kids can try their luck at planning a servicing mission with Amazing Space’s Mission Mastermind.

Use these reference photos to help you add details to your model. Click to enlarge.

The paper models are made to a scale of 1/48^th the size of the actual Hubble Space Telescope. This chart shows the size comparisons between Hubble and the paper models.

The PVC model, not listed below, is approximately 1/47^th the size of Hubble. Its actual measurements are not exactly to scale with the real telescope, but they are very close. The sizes were rounded to the nearest size of the PVC pipe that is commonly available.