f556c24b__04_22_2004____Background_Info__2004
[1990] Look farther into space to study galaxies at earlier evolutionary stages. Terrestrial telescopes could barely see details in objects halfway across the universe. [Future] Hubble's widest view of the cosmos, called the Cosmic Evolution Survey (COSMOS). By taking a wider census, the survey will allow astronomers to study a larger population of galaxies. [2004] 
Observed the universe as it appeared about 400 million years after the big bang and spied some of the earliest known galaxies. The Hubble observation traces galaxy evolution by showing the details that shape young galaxies.
HubbleSite - NewsCenter - The Lure of the Rings (04/22/2004) - Background Info
2004