The James Webb Space Telescope stuns with its first light images.
On October 16, 2018, NASA beamed back the first images taken by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), which will look further into space than ever before and capture light that has taken more than 13 billion years to reach us. The images, along with measurements of the background stars and galaxies in them, were taken by JWST’s Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam) as part of a functional test on the integrated science instrument module (ISIM). Two of these images are shown above; visit our press release for even more breathtaking views.
What Is the James Webb Telescope?
The James Webb Telescope is a space telescope that will be used to study the universe. It is the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope and is named after James E. Webb, the second administrator of NASA. The telescope is scheduled to launch in 2021 and will be located 1 million miles from Earth. Once launched, it will observe objects up to 13 billion years old. As opposed to the Hubble which has a 2.4-meter (7.9 ft) aperture, the James Webb Telescope's primary mirror has an aperture diameter of 6.5 meters (21 ft). Even though it can't see as deep into space as the Hubble, this larger mirror size will allow for better imaging of distant galaxies. It will also collect more light than any other infrared telescope to date. When it launches, it will surpass both the Spitzer and Herschel Telescopes on infrared sensitivity. The James Webb Space Telescope is supposed to have increased capabilities when observing near or within our solar system due to being shielded from earth’s atmosphere. However, there are still some design issues concerning how this affects the heat balance within the observatory during operations as well as potential interference from moonlight on observations of earth’s surface and atmospheric phenomena like auroras. One of the main features of the James Webb Space Telescope is it ability to detect molecules in regions where stars and planetary systems are forming.
Molecules detected by the JWST include hydrogen cyanide, which provides information about conditions where stars form; methanol, present in comets; formaldehyde, present wherever organic molecules are found; and methyl chloride gas found in Titan's atmosphere.
If successful, this telescope could provide many discoveries about cosmic origins and evolution not just for our galaxy but others as well. With such stunning imagery released so early, scientists and enthusiasts alike are eager to see what new knowledge awaits us in the coming decades.
Any object that has a temperature above absolute zero (-273 degrees Celsius) gives off heat energy due to atomic motion. This is called thermal radiation and it can be used to determine an objects temperature by looking at its color spectrum. The larger an objects temperature (in Kelvin), the more redder it will appear in thermal imaging compared to colder stars and planets which are bluer. Hotter planets will also emit infrared light, some of which is captured by IR detectors like those found on NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope and ESA’s Herschel Observatory. The James Webb Space Telescope will continue this practice using three different instruments: NIRCam (Near Infrared Camera), MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) and NIRSpec (Near Infrared Spectrograph). These instruments work together to measure things like planetary atmospheres, star formation processes, stellar population studies and high-redshift galaxies. For example, astronomers use the NIRSpec instrument to break apart light into its individual wavelengths in order to make a detailed analysis of astronomical sources. The goal of this is to take a census of the entire known universe. The James Webb Space Telescope will be able to pick out the most important details in astronomical spectra which will greatly improve our understanding of the cosmos. In addition, it will have an expanded field of view and much greater sensitivity to light, allowing it to survey large areas of sky faster than ever before. This will enable astronomers to explore more deeply into cosmic history and learn more about celestial objects including previously unknown ones.
Where Will It Go?
The James Webb Space Telescope is set to launch in March 2021 and will be the largest and most powerful telescope ever built. It will allow us to see further into space than ever before, and perhaps even answer some of the most fundamental questions about our universe. But where will it go? What will it be used for? No one knows what exciting discoveries await as we peer through the veil of interstellar dust that obscures objects from Earth-based telescopes, but there are many possibilities. One mission would find another solar system’s habitable planet or one like ours—or maybe a planet that has life on it! Another might detect evidence of a major event such as a collision between two neutron stars or supernovae explosions. Scientists could also use it to study how black holes work or trace how galaxies form over billions of years. No matter what mysteries are unveiled by this extraordinary observatory, you can bet they’ll be fascinating! Webb's website says that the telescope will have infrared vision, meaning it can peer deep into dust clouds shrouding distant stars and galaxies. With Webb's data, scientists will see not only what's happening at these faraway cosmic events but also how fast events unfold across space and time.
It may also help unravel the mysteries of dark energy (one of the greatest unsolved problems in physics) by looking for clues about why the expansion rate of our universe appears to be accelerating instead of slowing down due to gravity (as predicted). Perhaps Webb can explain why there is something rather than nothing. Maybe it will show us whether Einstein was right when he said: The most incomprehensible thing about the world is that it is comprehensible. We all know how baffled we get when trying to understand quantum mechanics, but then again quantum mechanics just predicts what will happen next--it doesn't try to tell us WHY things happen next. Who cares why? I just want to know WHAT happens next!
WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT WITH THE JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE? That's the question everyone wants answered, but until it launches in March 2021 and starts producing data nobody knows for sure. Will it find signs of ancient life on Mars? Or discover an exoplanet hiding around a nearby star? Or finally reveal what happened to gravitational waves detected last year, which may have been caused by colliding neutron stars or exploding white dwarfs? Whatever its findings turn out to be, the James Webb Space Telescope will revolutionize astronomy as we know it. And after 20 years of work and $8 billion spent so far...we're ready!
How Will it Work?
The telescope will be positioned in space about 930,000 miles from Earth. It will take about six months to get there and will orbit around the sun, never coming closer to Earth than about 47 million miles. The telescope's primary mirror is 21 feet wide and made up of 18 hexagonal segments that work together as one piece. When it launches, the telescope will be folded up like a accordion. Once it reaches space, the telescope will unfoldun to its full size and begin collecting data. It will have five main instruments on board:
- Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam)
- Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec)
- Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI)
- Tunable Filter Imager (TFI)
- Wide Field Camera 3
It will also carry a fine guidance sensor, science imaging cameras and an integrated science instrument control electronics box. The instruments will collect data from very distant objects in space and from planets, stars and galaxies that are nearby. Each telescope has 18 mirrors, giving it amazing abilities to see near-infrared wavelengths as well as visible ones. No other telescope before it can do both at once, making data collected through JWST's powerful instruments one of a kind! For example, when observing something like a planet or asteroid within our solar system, scientists would use the NIRCam which specializes in seeing things close to home. If they wanted to study something farther away such as a galaxy or star cluster outside our solar system, they would use MIRI which focuses primarily on infrared wavelengths that are emitted by cold objects like dust clouds and gases far away from Earth. And for something even more extreme, if scientists wanted to study really distant objects outside our universe altogether – such as black holes – they would use NIRSpec because it specializes in detecting light from these black holes due to their temperature being billions of degrees Celsius! The power of this telescope cannot be understated. With it, we will learn more about some of the most important scientific questions humans have ever asked: Where did we come from? Are we alone? What does the future hold? Scientists believe that this information will not only help us answer these long-standing questions but give us new insights into the laws of physics and how life began. Ultimately, what makes JWST so groundbreaking is its ability to peer back in time across 13 billion years ago all the way until just 690 million years ago—the end of the Cosmic Dark Ages, during which many stars and galaxies were forming into what we know today. In addition, the telescope will detect traces of organic molecules in the atmosphere of exoplanets and determine whether or not those molecules contain life. One of the missions of the telescope is to search for habitable worlds out in the Universe. Scientists hope to find earth-like planets where water could exist in liquid form, as well as planets where a possible form of microbial life could thrive. The possibilities are endless with this telescope.
What Can We Expect to See First?
The James Webb Space Telescope's first light images are finally here, and they are breathtaking. These early images show us just how much this powerful telescope will be able to see, and there is so much to look forward to. Here are a few of the things we can expect to see from the James Webb Space Telescope in the coming years:
1) More detailed images of exoplanets, including those that may be habitable.
2) Deeper views into star formation and galaxy evolution.
3) The birth and death of stars.
4) The mysteries of dark matter and dark energy.
5) And so much more! We can't wait to explore everything the James Webb Space Telescope has in store for us.
Now I know what you're thinking- where do I sign up? It's not too late to apply for one of 100 slots on NASA's internship program, which is accepting applications until December 20th. They've been working hard on testing and developing the JWST for over two decades now, and it would be amazing to help them bring their dream into reality by being part of their team. Apply today before it's too late! You could spend your summer exploring uncharted territory. Imagine having the opportunity to contribute to cutting edge research while getting hands-on experience that you won't find anywhere else. As an intern at NASA, you'll work alongside scientists and engineers who have dedicated their lives to learning about our universe. With only 100 slots available, you better act fast if you want a chance at one of these coveted internships! Applying takes less than 10 minutes, so don't miss out on your chance to be a part of history. If you think you're ready to take the next step in your career and explore new frontiers, then click the link below to learn more about applying for an internship. Remember, NASA is looking for people who are passionate about STEM and have the skills necessary to succeed. If that sounds like you, then get clicking!
You might also be interested in checking out some of the other blog posts on this site like What Is The James Webb Space Telescope? or Top 7 Signs That You Might Be An Astronomer.
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Why Is it Important?
The James Webb Space Telescope is important because it will allow us to see things that we have never seen before. It will help us understand the universe better and give us a glimpse into the past. Additionally, the telescope will be used to study dark energy and dark matter. The telescope is also important because it will allow us to study exoplanets, which are planets that orbit stars other than our own sun. Finally, the telescope will help us study the formation of galaxies and stars. The James Webb Space Telescope is an important project for understanding space and understanding ourselves. By looking at the history of the Universe, we can learn more about how we got here. We can also use this knowledge to figure out what’s next for Earth and humanity. As I said earlier, the James Webb Space Telescope will allow us to observe previously unobserved phenomena in the cosmos. With a view like no other, we might just find something incredible. In all likelihood, the discoveries made by the James Webb Space Telescope will change life on Earth as we know it today. If you need any convincing that this telescope is worth every penny invested in it, look at Hubble images from 1977 compared to 2017 photos taken by Hubble. You can't even compare them. The sky is so much more colorful now, and there's so much more going on up there. And those are just still pictures. Imagine being able to watch time-lapse videos of deep space happenings! That's one thing you'll be able to do with the James Webb Space Telescope. And then imagine being able to zoom in 10x farther than ever before! What wonders will we uncover? Who knows! But one thing's for sure: human curiosity knows no bounds, and the best way to satisfy that curiosity is through exploration of our cosmic backyard! The James Webb Space Telescope will go where no man has gone before and bring back new information that could reveal the answer to mankind's most profound questions.
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