The birth and development of the universe will be studied by observing light from astronomical objects in the distant past. The light from these objects was generated up to 15 billion years ago. The light will reveal the properties of these objects, such as galaxies, that existed when the universe was younger. The largest telescopes, using sensitive electronic detectors known as charge-coupled devices (CCDs), will be used to make the observations. Extremely fast computers, using specially developed software, will be used to analyze and interpret the data. The data will be used to try to determine how galaxies form and evolve and to examine the structure of the universe moments after the "Big Bang". Data from the Hubble Space Telescope will be acquired after its launch.
