SPECIAL TIME: 4pm EDT, 8pm GMT!

In the 24 years Hubble has been exploring the universe, we have gone through four U.S. Presidents, and 5 U.K. Prime Ministers.  For many astronomers, this time represents almost half a career and for people under 25, they have never known a world without the Hubble Space Telescope in it.

This exciting hangout will take a look at all of the things the Hubble Space Telescope has done for us, both scientifically and culturally with Dr. Martin Barstow, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Head of the College of Science & Engineering, Professor of Astrophysics & Space Science and President of the Royal Astronomical Society.

Later in the hour, he will also introduce us to ATLAST, The Advanced Technology Large Aperture Space Telescope.  ATLAST is a NASA strategic mission concept study for the next generation of UVOIR space observatory. ATLAST will have a primary mirror diameter in the 8m to 16m range that will allow us to perform some of the most challenging observations to answer some of our most compelling astrophysical questions. We have identified two different telescope architectures, but with similar optical designs, that span the range in viable technologies. The architectures are a telescope with a monolithic primary mirror and two variations of a telescope with a large segmented primary mirror. The concepts invoke heritage from HST and JWST design, but also take significant departures from these designs to minimize complexity, mass, or both. ATLAST will have an angular resolution that is 5 – 10 times better than the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and a sensitivity limit that is up to 2000 times better than the Hubble Space Telescope (HST).

Please join +Tony Darnell Dr +Carol Christian  and +Scott Lewis as they discuss the impact of Hubble and this exciting new +NASA mission.