Space telescopes are observatories launched into orbit to study the universe free from Earth’s atmospheric interference. They have revolutionized astronomy by capturing clearer, deeper, and more detailed images than ground-based telescopes.

Earth’s atmosphere absorbs or distorts many wavelengths of light. Space telescopes avoid this problem by observing from orbit, making them vital for detecting ultraviolet, infrared, X-ray, and microwave radiation from distant objects.

• Hubble Space Telescope: Launched in 1990, it provided iconic images of galaxies, nebulae, and deep space.
• James Webb Space Telescope (JWST): Launched in 2021, it observes in infrared and looks farther back in time than any other telescope.
• Chandra X-ray Observatory: Studies high-energy X-rays from black holes, neutron stars, and supernovae.
• Spitzer Space Telescope: Specialized in infrared astronomy until retirement in 2020.
• GALEX, Kepler, TESS: Helped discover thousands of exoplanets and study galaxy evolution.

• Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope: Will study dark energy and exoplanets using wide-field infrared imaging.
• LUVOIR (Concept): A massive multi-wavelength telescope designed to search for habitable worlds.
• Athena (ESA): A next-gen X-ray observatory focusing on black holes and galaxy clusters.

Space telescopes are our eyes into the distant universe, helping us unlock mysteries of cosmic origins, star birth, galactic evolution, and even signs of life beyond Earth.