Since Galileo Galilei developed the telescope in 1610, ongoing efforts to perfect this technological tool have been key to advancing knowledge of the Solar System and of the cosmos. For many, the giant steps modern science has made as a result feed the fantasy of conquering outer space.

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The James E. Webb space telescope, named in honor of the man who led NASA's Apollo missions to the moon, is under construction and slated to be up and operating in 2010.

Costing 824.8 million dollars, the Webb telescope will be used to peer into farthest regions recorded by the Hubble telescope, a distance of between 10 billion and 11 billion light years. The telescope will be placed 1.5 million km from Earth at the Lagrange Point 2, a site of equilibrium between the gravitational pulls of the Earth and Sun.

Many astronomers believe the new Webb will shed light on the big mystery of how the stars and galaxies were formed hundreds of millions of years after the Big Bang, the explosion that theory says gave rise to the universe.

The Webb project began eight years ago, and is to replace the Hubble, the world's most important space telescope to date, and bearing the name of U.S. astronomer Edwin Hubble, considered the father of modern astrophysics.

Data gathered by the Hubble helped scientists to locate the oldest known planet, estimated to be 13 billion years old.

The Hubble was placed in orbit in 1990 for a 20-year mission to end in 2010.

There are several other space telescope projects underway around the world. Next year the Canary Islands Telescope is slated to begin operating, financed by Spain, Mexico and the United States.

Telescopes have helped astrophysicists get to know the cosmos, including the discovery of giant black holes, the formative stages of solar systems, and other phenomenon that contribute towards dating the origins of the universe. But not all seen through the telescope are wonders of the cosmos.

But not all seen through the telescope are wonders of the cosmos. There is plenty of space garbage too — artificial objects like defunct satellites and used rockets, and other material that has come from humanity's exploration of what lies beyond