Second Grade
Worksheets
The Hubble Space Telescope
Pretend that you're outside in a big field. Your friend is calling to you. He is far across the field. You look up and see him easily. He shows you a Frisbee that he's going to throw to you. He throws it and you catch it with no problems because you can see it.
What if it were foggy out? You still might be able to see your friend. What if it were raining, too? What if you were inside looking through a dirty window? You'd probably miss the Frisbee toss because you couldn't see your friend or the Frisbee.
That is a problem that astronomers have. Astronomers study objects in outer space. They use telescopes. Telescopes on Earth look through the Earth's atmosphere. The atmosphere can be dirty and cloudy. It can keep astronomers from seeing things clearly. Things look fuzzy. It is hard to see details. Some things cannot be seen at all.
