astronomy

Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph

Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph rather than just read about it. In short: The Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph (GHRS or HRS) was an ultraviolet spectrograph installed on the Hubble Space Telescope during its original construction, and it was launched into space as part of that space telescope aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery on April 24, 1990 (STS-31). The instrument is named after 20th century rocket pioneer Robert H.

Key takeaways

Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph (GHRS or HRS) was an ultraviolet spectrograph installed on the Hubble Space Telescope during its original construction, and it was launched into space as part of that space telescope aboard the Space Shuttle Discovery on April 24, 1990 (STS-31). The instrument is named after 20th century rocket pioneer Robert H. Goddard. One of the results was the discovery of tenuous atmosphere for Jupiter's moon Europa in 1995. The gas was determined to be mostly of molecular oxygen (O2). The surface pressure of Europa's atmosphere is 0.1 μPa, or 10−12 times that of the Earth. An example GHRS use was to observe the local interstellar medium in the direction towards Capella. The Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph was removed from the Hubble Space Telescope during the February, 1997, Space Shuttle Discovery mission STS-82 (also called SM-2 for Servicing Mission 2). It, and the Faint Object Spectrograph, were replaced by two new instruments installed during the mission, the Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS) and the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph.

Instrument details Instrument type: Ultraviolet spectrograph Wavelength range: 1150 to 3200 Å (105 to 320 nm) Resolving power Low - 2,000 Medium - 25,000 High - 80,000 A technical description of the construction and operation of the GHRS can be found in the GHRS instrument handbook.

References

External links The Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph ESA/Hubble

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph

In research: Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics American spacecraft stubs, Astronomical observatory stubs, Hubble Space Telescope instruments, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph in simple terms?

Why does Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph.