The Faint Object Camera (FOC) was built by the European Space Agency. It has two detector systems that use image intensifiers to produce an image that is 100,000 times brighter than the light received. This system is so sensitive that the light from bright objects must be dimmed by the camera's filter systems to avoid overloading the detectors.

Using the FOC, Hubble recently discovered a tiny star known to scientists as the most efficient generator of gamma-rays ever found in the Universe. The star was named Pulsar 1055-52. The FOC was able to detect Pulsar 1055-52 radiating ultraviolet light just outside the visible spectrum at 340 nanometers. In the astronomy community, Pulsar 1055-52 is considered an important and interesting find.