The Hubble Space Telescope has resumed scientific operations and captured a detailed image of a distant galaxy, after weeks of inactivity due to technical issues.
This follows a transition to a new operational mode relying on a single gyroscope – a critical instrument for controlling and orienting the telescope.
The ageing observatory, which was launched in 1990, entered safe mode on May 24 because of a malfunctioning gyro that prevented its operations.
We’re poised now for many years of discovery ahead
Dr Jennifer Wiseman,
senior project scientist for Hubble
When built, it was fitted with six gyros, but only three remain active. Nasa decided a few weeks ago to save two for future use and utilise just one to resume operations.
“Hubble’s new image of a spectacular galaxy demonstrates the full success of our new, more stable pointing mode for the telescope,” said Dr Jennifer Wiseman, senior project scientist for Hubble at Nasa.
“We’re poised now for many years of discovery ahead, and we’ll be looking at everything from our Solar System to exoplanets to distant galaxies.”
The new image features galaxy NGC 1546, which is located in the constellation Dorado, 169 light years away from Earth.
It shows the galaxy's dust lanes, which are backlit by its core, as well as several background galaxies, including a spiral one positioned to the left of NGC 1546.
Even though Nasa has figured out a way to extend Hubble's operations, there are now minor limitations on the telescope's data-gathering abilities, due to the decision to use only one gyro.
These include needing more time to turn and lock on to a target, meaning it will not have as much flexibility as to where it can observe at any given time.
The telescope will also not be able to track moving objects closer than Mars, though Nasa said that these are rare occurrences anyway.
Hubble, which has cost Nasa more than $16 billion so far, has been observing the universe for more than three decades – long exceeding its original expected mission lifespan of 15 years.
Despite its ageing hardware, Hubble continues to deliver groundbreaking scientific findings. These include data helping scientists to measure the universe’s expansion rate, detailed images of nebulas – also known as star nurseries – and uncovering the presence of water vapour in the atmospheres of planets outside our Solar System.
Over the years, it has faced multiple technical issues requiring numerous repairs and upgrades, including five servicing missions by space shuttle crews.
The James Webb Space Telescope, a $10 billion observatory, was launched in 2021 and is 100 times more powerful than Hubble.
It operates primarily in the infrared spectrum, allowing it to peer through cosmic dust and observe the universe's earliest galaxies and star formations.
The “time travel machine” has already made significant discoveries, including observations of the Cartwheel Galaxy, detecting water in the atmosphere of the exoplanet WASP-96b and capturing the most detailed images of the Southern Ring Nebula.
How to invest in gold
Investors can tap into the gold price by purchasing physical jewellery, coins and even gold bars, but these need to be stored safely and possibly insured.
A cheaper and more straightforward way to benefit from gold price growth is to buy an exchange-traded fund (ETF).
Most advisers suggest sticking to “physical” ETFs. These hold actual gold bullion, bars and coins in a vault on investors’ behalf. Others do not hold gold but use derivatives to track the price instead, adding an extra layer of risk. The two biggest physical gold ETFs are SPDR Gold Trust and iShares Gold Trust.
Another way to invest in gold’s success is to buy gold mining stocks, but Mr Gravier says this brings added risks and can be more volatile. “They have a serious downside potential should the price consolidate.”
Mr Kyprianou says gold and gold miners are two different asset classes. “One is a commodity and the other is a company stock, which means they behave differently.”
Mining companies are a business, susceptible to other market forces, such as worker availability, health and safety, strikes, debt levels, and so on. “These have nothing to do with gold at all. It means that some companies will survive, others won’t.”
By contrast, when gold is mined, it just sits in a vault. “It doesn’t even rust, which means it retains its value,” Mr Kyprianou says.
You may already have exposure to gold miners in your portfolio, say, through an international ETF or actively managed mutual fund.
You could spread this risk with an actively managed fund that invests in a spread of gold miners, with the best known being BlackRock Gold & General. It is up an incredible 55 per cent over the past year, and 240 per cent over five years. As always, past performance is no guide to the future.
FIXTURES
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Friday
Saint-Etienne v Montpellier (10.45pm)
Saturday
Monaco v Caen (7pm)
Amiens v Bordeaux (10pm)
Angers v Toulouse (10pm)
Metz v Dijon (10pm)
Nantes v Guingamp (10pm)
Rennes v Lille (10pm)
Sunday
Nice v Strasbourg (5pm)
Troyes v Lyon (7pm)
Marseille v Paris Saint-Germain (11pm)
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Key recommendations
- Fewer criminals put behind bars and more to serve sentences in the community, with short sentences scrapped and many inmates released earlier.
- Greater use of curfews and exclusion zones to deliver tougher supervision than ever on criminals.
- Explore wider powers for judges to punish offenders by blocking them from attending football matches, banning them from driving or travelling abroad through an expansion of ‘ancillary orders’.
- More Intensive Supervision Courts to tackle the root causes of crime such as alcohol and drug abuse – forcing repeat offenders to take part in tough treatment programmes or face prison.
Cricket World Cup League Two
Oman, UAE, Namibia
Al Amerat, Muscat
Results
Oman beat UAE by five wickets
UAE beat Namibia by eight runs
Fixtures
Wednesday January 8 –Oman v Namibia
Thursday January 9 – Oman v UAE
Saturday January 11 – UAE v Namibia
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia
Company%20profile
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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ETHE%20SPECS%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EEngine%3A%203.5-litre%20V6%0D%3Cbr%3ETransmission%3A%209-speed%20automatc%0D%3Cbr%3EPower%3A%20279hp%0D%3Cbr%3ETorque%3A%20350Nm%0D%3Cbr%3EPrice%3A%20From%20Dh250%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3EOn%20sale%3A%20Now%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What are the influencer academy modules?
- Mastery of audio-visual content creation.
- Cinematography, shots and movement.
- All aspects of post-production.
- Emerging technologies and VFX with AI and CGI.
- Understanding of marketing objectives and audience engagement.
- Tourism industry knowledge.
- Professional ethics.
