What resolution, instead of the intended 0.1 arcseconds, did the flawed Hubble deliver?
Answer
0.7 to 1.0 arcseconds
The visual impact of the spherical aberration translated directly into a severe drop in achievable resolution, meaning the telescope could not resolve fine details. The design goal for stellar resolution was an exceptionally sharp 0.1 arcseconds. However, due to the manufacturing defect, the telescope was only performing at approximately 1/20th of its intended capability, yielding images where stars appeared as indistinct smudges with measured resolutions falling in the range of 0.7 to 1.0 arcseconds. This significant performance deficit confirmed the severity of the optical flaw upon orbital activation.
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