Wide Field Camera 3

The Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) is the Hubble Space Telescope’s last and most advanced tool for taking pictures of space. It sees light that our eyes can see and helps scientists learn about the universe.

It was added during a space mission called STS-125 on May 14, 2009. This mission replaced an older camera called the Wide Field and Planetary Camera 2.

Since it was put in place, WFC3 has helped scientists find exciting things about stars, planets, and faraway galaxies. As of April 2023, it was still working and sending back important pictures from space.

Specifications

The Wide Field Camera 3 is a special camera used on the Hubble telescope. It takes pictures of stars and other objects in space using different kinds of light. It has two main parts: one that sees ultraviolet and visible light, and another that sees infrared light.

The camera can take pictures of a large area of the sky. Its visible light part can see colors from purple to green, while its infrared part can see hidden details. Both parts have special tools like filters and prisms that help scientists study space in many ways. This camera helps Hubble keep doing great work for many years to come.

History

The Wide Field Camera 3, or WFC3, was planned starting in spring 1998. Experts from many groups worked together to build it, with leaders at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. The camera was mostly made at Goddard and Ball Aerospace in Colorado.

NASA wanted to send WFC3 into space on October 14, 2008, but needed more repairs first. The mission finally launched on May 11, 2009, and astronauts John M. Grunsfeld and Andrew J. Feustel installed WFC3 on May 14.

To celebrate the Hubble Space Telescope’s 25th anniversary, scientists used WFC3 to take a new, clearer picture of the Pillars of Creation in January 2015.

In January 2019, WFC3 had a small problem, but NASA fixed it and the camera was working again soon after.