According to a newsletter sent out by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the purpose of the Hubble Space Telescope was, and is, to collect light from cosmic objects so that scientists can better understand the universe around us. Until the implementation of the Hubble Space Telescope, all telescopes were Earth-based and had the disadvantage of having to peer at the stars through Earth's atmosphere. Earth's atmosphere provides a large distortion when viewing very distant objects, such as space, through a telescope. Placing a telescope in space eliminates distortion and provides images that are significantly clearer and, therefore, easier to examine. The Hubble Space Telescope's six different science instruments include cameras, fine guidance sensors, and spectrographs. All of these tools work together to create extremely high-quality images of the most distant areas of space. The first major instrument is the Wide Field Camera 3, which can be used to study objects anywhere, from far away in the universe to the backyard of our solar system. It also helps examine how galaxies evolve over time, the history of individual galaxies, and the mystery of “dark matter.” The second important instrument is the Cosmic Origins spectrograph, which breaks down ultraviolet radiation into components that can be studied in detail. It is also used to examine the evolution of galaxies, the formation of planets and the birth of the elements necessary for life, as well as the “cosmic network” of gas between galaxies. The third important tool is the Advanced Camera for Surveys, which is a combination of three high-resolution cameras, a wide-field camera and a solar camera. What these cameras do is conduct surveys of the universe and... half the paper... the facts." NASA Hubble 1 (1999): 2. Print."Edwin Hubble Biography Pt.1." Edwin Hubble. Np, nd Web. 27 April 2012. "Biography of Edwin Hubble Pt.2." Edwin Hubble, nd Web. 27 April 2012. .University of St. Andrews, Scotland. MacTutor History of Mathematics. Millis, John P.. "Biography of Edwin Hubble" on About.com, nd Web. .Sandage, Allan "EDWIN HUBBLE 1889-1953 by Allan Sandage (1989, JRASC Vol. 83, No.6)." Dayöfn, n.d. Web. 2012. .