The Hubble Space Telescope is a giant telescope floating in space, orbiting Earth about 340 miles above us. It was launched in 1990 by NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) to take incredibly clear pictures of space without interference from Earth’s atmosphere. The Hubble Space Telescope orbits Earth at a speed of about 28,000 kilometers per hour (17,500 miles per hour). That’s fast enough to travel around the entire Earth in just 95 minutes! It orbits at an altitude of about 547 kilometers (340 miles) above Earth’s surface. This is higher than the International Space Station (ISS), which orbits at around 420 km (260 miles). Unlike telescopes on the ground, Hubble doesn’t have to deal with weather or air pollution, so it can see far into the universe. Hubble works by collecting light with a large mirror, then using special cameras and sensors to capture detailed images in visible, ultraviolet, and infrared light. Over the years, it has sent back breathtaking photos of space, including famous images like the Pillars of Creation. Hubble has also helped scientists understand how fast the universe is expanding and provided clues about mysterious things like dark energy. Even though it has been in space for over 30 years, it’s still making important discoveries.