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Breaking down SCOTUS
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest authority in the country's judicial system, standing alongside the executive and legislative as a coequal branch of government (see 101).

The main role of the court is to interpret the US Constitution and ensure that laws and policies align with it. The court also resolves legal disputes involving the federal government's authority and serves as the final appellate body, reviewing decisions from lower federal and state courts, that is, hearing appeals.

The Supreme Court consists of nine justices—one chief justice and eight associate justices—a number that has remained unchanged since the Judiciary Act of 1869 (the number of justices can be changed through an act of Congress). Justices are nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate, serving lifetime appointments. As of 2025, 116 people have held the position of justice. See current justices here.

The Supreme Court has delivered landmark decisions that have significantly influenced the nation's legal and social landscape (see table of laws ruled unconstitutional).

... Read our full write-up on the court here.

Also, check out ...

> The only criminal trial in the Supreme Court's history. (More)
> Why Supreme Court nominations have become so bitter. (More)
> Why SCOTUS justices serve for life. (More)


The Hubble Telescope, 101
For the last three decades, NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has served as the pinnacle of space-based observation—generating unprecedented images of the universe and rewriting textbook theories on black holes, dark matter, exoplanets, and more. The observatory is named after Edwin Hubble, the astronomer who first revealed and classified galaxies other than our own.

The telescope was released from the space shuttle Discovery’s cargo bay into low Earth orbit on April 25, 1990, 320 miles above Earth’s surface. Since becoming operational, Hubble has made more than 1.6 million observations, making it NASA’s most productive mission ever. For years, it was serviced regularly via space shuttle missions.

Hubble is expected to reenter and burn up in Earth’s atmosphere sometime in the mid-2030s, far surpassing its original 15-year mission and inspiring a new generation of space-based observatories.

... Read our full explainer on the Hubble here.

Also, check out ...

> The time Hubble witnessed a comet hit Jupiter. (More)
> Investigate the cosmos in this Hubble-based interactive. (More)
> The story behind Hubble's first photo. (More)

SOURCE:  1440 NEWS