What is the Hubble Space Telescope best described as?

• A. A reflecting telescope orbiting about 600 km above Earth.
• B. A space shuttle used for crew transport.
• C. A device that measures gravity on different planets.
• D. A natural satellite of Earth that transmits GPS signals.

Answer: (A)

Hubble is an artificial satellite designed to observe the universe from above Earth’s atmosphere. It functions as a resolving instrument that collects light with a large mirror, making it a reflecting telescope. Being in low Earth orbit—about 600 kilometers up—removes atmospheric distortion that blurs ground-based images, allowing it to take much sharper pictures of distant galaxies, stars, and planets. That combination of an orbital, space-based telescope that uses mirrors to gather and focus light is why it’s best described as an orbiting reflecting telescope around Earth at roughly six hundred kilometers altitude. It isn’t a space shuttle, a gravity-measuring device, or a natural satellite that transmits GPS signals.