Hubble After Servicing Mission 3B (click for larger image)

Hubble Presentations

Dr. Frank Summers, Space Telescope Science Institute

As an astronomer in the Office of Public Outreach at the Space Telescope Science Institute, I have done many lectures on Hubble. For students to teachers to scientists to programmers to planetarium professionals to amateur astronomers to science fiction fans to just plain ordinary folk, I've done them all. On this page, I've collected the various presentations together. Each has its own slant and some things change over the years, but they all share many of the gorgeous pictures. The beauty of Hubble's images is timeless.

Presentations

Below are selected presentations about Hubble. If you are looking for the presentation from one specific speaking engagement, it may not be here. I only post new versions when there is a significant change to the content. I'm sure you will find one version that is quite similar (comparing dates is useful) to what I presented.

Hubble: The Science Behind the Images
5th International Workshop on Planning and Scheduling for Space - October 24, 2006
The amazing images from the Hubble Space Telescope inspire both young and old, artistic and intellectual, astronomer and layman. The wonder and curiosity they foster becomes even more compelling when one appreciates the remarkable scientific accomplishments these pictures enable. In this lecture, let me take you on a journey into the full beauty of Hubble's images and explain what these objects are, why they are important, and how they help advance our understanding of the universe.

This is the conference dinner lecture for the 5th International Workshop on Planning and Scheduling for Space. I only had 30 minutes, and decided to choose topics where I could show both Hubble images, but also some cool science visualizations. The PowerPoint file below has many more slides than what I presented, as many of the slides are skipped with the "Hide Slide" feature. The PDF file includes only the slides used in the presentation.

Links to Visualizations

What Makes Hubble So Great?
Space Telescope Science Institute - April 18, 2006
On April 24, 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope was launched into orbit aboard the space shuttle Discovery. Fifteen years later, Hubble has revolutionized views of the universe for both the professional and the layman. Although designed to do cutting edge astronomy, Hubble's amazingly detailed images have also captured the public's imagination, and taken all of mankind on a remarkable journey through the cosmos. In this talk, I discuss a bit of Hubble's capabilities, challenges, and accomplishments that make it one of the most important telescopes in history.

This talk was given to an All-Hands meeting of the Center for Process and Technology (CPT) of the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, MD on April 18, 2006. CPT is the division responsible for computer operations at STScI, and several staff members wanted to know more about the astronomical side of the Institute.

Fifteen Years of Intriguing and Astounding Images from Hubble
Space Telescope Public Lecture Series - April 5, 2005
On April 24, 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope was launched into orbit aboard the space shuttle Discovery. Fifteen years later, Hubble has revolutionized views of the universe for both the professional and the layman. Although designed to do cutting edge astronomy, Hubble's amazingly detailed images have also captured the public's imagination, and taken all of mankind on a remarkable journey through the cosmos. In this talk I not only present the most beautiful images from Hubble, but also provide the scientific insight that renders them even more stunning.

This talk was given as part of the Hubble Space Telescope Public Lecture Series held at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, MD on April 5, 2005. The presentation was based upon my International Space Camp talks, and was augmented by a thorough search of the Hubble Press Release Archive. I selected over a hundred Hubble images and organized them not only to show the most gorgeous images, but also to tell the most interesting astronomical stories. The presentation is almost purely a slide show of Hubble pictures. To get the science behind the pictures, watch the webcast.

Page last updated on: October 25, 2006