What's With All The Frenzy Surrounding The Novel Webb Telescope?
Are you getting a 1960s vibe about space like us?
It’s time to travel where no one has before.
Credit: Early Universe
Did you wake up this morning wishing you could see the first star ever born in our universe? Well, your wish will be granted this December.
Up until now, getting clear images of our solar system and universe has been challenging (even for the most sophisticated telescopes). But, without rover missions into space conducted by NASA and other space exploration institutions, you might not have that epic picture of Jupiter as your zoom virtual background.
There’s so much more we want to see, so the James Webb Space Telescope (sometimes called JWST or Webb) will help us.
Here are four must-knows about webb:
1. Is WEBB big?
Um, yes. Webb is the largest telescope - ever. It’s 100 times more potent than Hubble, which caused some unusual issues. Transporting a telescope that size into space is almost impossible
But the team of 1200 skilled scientists, engineers, and researchers are building Webb into what looks like a children’s toy…per se. It is an origami-style folding system that will “unfold” in space, like a transformer, which means Webb can get carried away in a rocket.
2. Why is Webb the best telescope?
It has something to do with longer wavelengths. These slower waves improve the telescope’s ability to see further into space and its sensitivity to observe the tiniest things.
Also, Webb could quite possibly see the beginning of time. Like when the first stars and galaxies were born.
Our universe was born roughly 13.8 billion years ago. That super-fast and powerful expansion left behind old light and darkness. As a result, Webb can not only detect the deepest parts of space, where time has stood still since that massive event, but also see inside dense dust clouds and star nurseries.
3. Are we alone?
Not to burst your bubble, but the Milky Way is not the only galaxy in the universe. Astronomers believe there might be 100 to 200 billion galaxies. It’s like a jar full of marbles, all gently orbiting each other.
Like us, systems that have planets, moons, and stars take millions of years to form. The steady growth of a solar system poses some serious challenges for astronomers. For example, it’s hard to identify how far along the system is or categorize it.
But Webb can do it. Webb will provide an inventory for us to observe 17 actively forming planetary systems. At OMNI, we squealed a little when we heard that. So we’ll be watching a galaxy from baby, teenager, adult, to death.
4. Can we live elsewhere in the universe?
Perhaps. Webb can tell us about the conditions of extrasolar planets, even outside our galaxy. It will send data back to Earth about life-sustaining chemicals, like carbon and oxygen, all over the cosmos. So, if we find a planet or system that could sustain carbon-based life, like us, then we might be packing your space travel bags sooner than we thought.