As the first colored image taken by the James Webb Space Telescope has been revealed on Monday, July 11, 2022, everyone in the science world is excited. So what exactly is the James Webb Space Telescope and why are scientists so excited about it? We will discuss all in this article. So let’s begin!
The James Webb Space Telescope is a telescope designed to conduct infrared astronomy. It is the most powerful space telescope to be launched into space so far. And it is expected to acquire high-quality images of distant, old, and faint objects currently unavailable to the Hubble Space Telescope. Although scientists and anyone else interested in the topic are really excited about this equipment and its potential, there is no reason for you, who might not be too much into space news, to be excited about it too. Here are the top 5 reasons you could and should be excited about James Webb Space Telescope.
1. IT’S GONNA BE IN SPACE!!
Well, to be honest, the name already gives it away. But it will be the largest ever telescope sent to space. We already have larger telescopes on the ground, but nothing comes close to the newest addition to the off-ground telescope family. Its only competitor right now pales in comparison in both size and functionality. This also brings us to the next point-
2. JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE IS WAY MORE POWERFUL THAN HUBBLE
Who doesn’t know and love Hubble? Hubble is the magic window that has widened our view to the literal outer worlds. There are many things we could not possibly see without the help of mighty Hubble. So now imagine this, The new and improved space telescope is more powerful than the almighty Hubble itself. To be exact, it’s 100 times more powerful with mirrors bigger than its predecessor. With larger mirrors, the James Webb Telescope will be able to look farther into the universe than we could ever before. This also brings us-
3. IT CAN SEE INFRARED WAVELENGTH
Well okay. That’s a little bit confusing. But what that means is that as the universe expands, the light gets stretched as it travels across the cosmos. And the most distant light is stretched so much that it enters the infrared part of the spectrum. The galaxies farthest away from us appear in infrared. Observing them with the James Webb Telescope will allow us to peer further back into history than Hubble was able to. It has been suggested that the telescope can see galaxies and stars that formed only a few hundred million years after the Big Bang. As it can see very, very, very far away it also means-
4. JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE CAN SEE ALIENS
No, it’s a lie. Well, until we see one that is. But with the power of detecting a penny from 40km away, the Telescope will allow us to learn more about the surfaces and atmospheres of many exoplanets. It should be able to reveal the composition of alien atmospheres.
Thanks to the extended wavelength coverage, it will be possible to detect elements and compounds like methane, oxygen, and carbon dioxide on planets light-years away. In other words, Earth-like planets will be characterized for the first time, and we’ll be a significant step closer to finding life and habitability among the stars. But you might be one of the people who doesn’t care much about other solar systems and you’re in love with our own. In that case-
5. IT’S GONNA BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR PLANET 9
Yes, The Mysterious Planet 9. Whether a scientific fact or a fiction, the elusive Planet 9 has been in the minds of many for a long, long time. Many scientists believe that a large, undiscovered planet lurks in the outer solar system, owing to mysterious gravitational anomalies affecting certain Kuiper Belt Objects far beyond the orbit of Pluto. If indeed Planet 9 exists, Webb should be capable of imaging it directly and fully characterizing it. If discovered, Planet 9 will be the first true planet discovered since Neptune in 1846.
Hope that changes your mind and gets you excited as well about this incredible piece of technology in front of us. If not though, no worries. Because JWST has already taken its position on the designed place in space and all the equipment is in perfect alignment, with the final calibration, the telescope can, at last, begin its true cause; studying the distant galaxy objects. NASA has already teased us that they will release JWST’s first full-color image and related data on July 12, 2022. And with that, there’s no way you can not be excited as well with the possibilities that come with the James Webb Space Telescope.
Cheers