How a single instrument reveals the chemical origins of life
In short: Hubble's Cosmic Origins Spectrograph doesn't take pictures. Instead, it breaks light into its individual components to decode the universe. By capturing faint ultraviolet signals, it investigates how essential elements like carbon and iron first formed, offering a window into the evolution of galaxies and planetary systems.
Unlike standard imaging, the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) performs spectroscopy. It analyzes how objects absorb or emit light to determine their temperature, density, chemical composition, and velocity. This capability is particularly vital in the ultraviolet spectrum, where light is more energetic than visible light. To maximize efficiency, the COS Far Ultraviolet (FUV) channel was designed to minimize light loss by requiring only a single bounce off a light-dispersing grating before reaching the detector.
The instrument was installed during Hubble's Servicing Mission 4 in May 2009. It was designed to be highly sensitive, specifically targeting faint sources of ultraviolet and cosmic web light. In fact, for faint targets, COS can achieve a signal-to-noise ratio comparable to the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) in just 1% to 2% of the observing time. This massive leap in sensitivity allows astronomers to observe objects that were previously unreachable.
The scientific impact of COS has been immediate and profound. In its first 20 months of operation, from September 2009 to June 2011, it sampled a cumulative redshift pathlength nine times greater than the previous 19 years of Hubble observations. This has enabled researchers to detect the first CO emission in low-mass circumstellar disks during giant planet formation and to observe the HeII reionization epoch along multiple sightlines.
By working alongside the more versatile STIS, COS provides a complete set of spectroscopic tools. While STIS was installed in 1997 during Servicing Mission 2, COS provides over 30 times the sensitivity for FUV observations of faint objects like distant quasars, helping scientists map the large-scale structure of the universe.
Opens the Intellect+ feed with this card first. Swipe up for the next one.
Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: NASA | Hubble's Cosmic Origins Spectrograph
- Also: Cosmic Origins Spectrograph - NASA Science
- Also: Cosmic Origins Spectrograph
- Also: The Cosmic Origins Spectrograph - NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)
To cite this card, link to https://intellectplus.co.uk/app/space-nasa-hubble-s-cosmic-origins-spectrograph.
How we source, check and correct cards: Editorial standards.
General information, not professional advice. Spotted an error? Flag the card or see corrections and complaints.
Intellect Plus is a visual educational discovery platform for exploring fascinating facts and ideas. Brain Food, Not Brain Rot. What is Intellect Plus?
Related
More in Space · Latest · A–Z · All topics
