Hubble : imaging space and time / David Devorkin & Robert W. Smith.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

The most famous telescope -- The realm of the Nebulae -- Into orbit -- Observing with Hubble -- The wonder of outer space / by Elizabeth Kessler -- The harvest.

"In the spirit of National Geographic's top-selling Orbit, this glorious volume tells the full story of the Hubble Space Telescope and showcases hundreds of dramatic deep-space panoramas. We're sped on an astonishing journey to the edge of the known universe - a realm of colliding galaxies, massive baby stars, and mysterious forces that scientists have barely begun to understand. Hubble: Imaging Space and Time reveals, in breathtaking color ... a colossal 50-light-year-wide view of the Carina Nebula, detailing star birth as never before; the violent interplay of galaxies, in which a giant cannibalizes its neighbor; remarkable visual evidence that the universe is expanding - a phenomenon first observed by astronomer Edwin Hubble; important work now underway to set the stage for the Hubble's successor - the new James Webb telescope, scheduled to launch in 2013 on a quest "to the beginning of time."" "Respected space historians David DeVorkin and Robert Smith give a fascinating account of this engineering marvel, explaining how the orbiting telescope works and introducing the people - from Galileo to Edwin Hubble to today's foremost astronomers - who have shaped its development. The authors disclose the inside story of Hubble's beginnings, its controversial early days, the drama of its servicing missions, and its role in investigating deeps-pace mysteries such as the force known as "dark energy." Illuminating every discussion are the dynamic, unparalled Hubble images, reaching us across millions of light-years from a time very close to the instant when the universe was born."--BOOK JACKET.