James Webb Telescope Will ‘Change How We See the Universe’
NASA is preparing for the December launch of the James Webb Telescope, after former NASA administrator James Webb, it will use infrared technology to examine far-away planets.
The launch of the Webb Telescope was originally set to occur in 2010, but delays forced NASA to push it back to December 2021. After successfully completing a series of rigorous tests, the launch is set to occur on December 18, 2021 from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana, on the northeastern coast of South America.
NASA is working in partnership with the European and Canadian space agencies for the launch. The telescope will be launched on an Ariane 5, from which it will detach 10,400 kilometers into the journey. Moments after separating, its solar-powered array will unfold, supplying electricity to the telescope.
This process includes 178 release mechanisms working to allow it to complete its 40 major deployments. Once in space, Webb will wait 35 days after launch before aligning its mirrors. It is estimated the first images collected by the telescope will be released to the public in summer 2022, some six months after.
“Webb is an exemplary mission that signifies the epitome of perseverance,” said Gregory L. Robinson, Webb’s program director at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “I am inspired by our team and our global partnerships that have made this incredible endeavor possible. Together, we’ve overcome technical obstacles along the way, as well as challenges during the coronavirus pandemic. I also am grateful for the steadfast support of Congress.
“Now that we have an observatory and a rocket ready for launch, I am looking forward to the big day and the amazing science to come,” he added.
The telescope has a 21-feet-long light-collecting mirror covered in gold, which will catch the light and allow scientists to analyze the chemical makeup of the planets’ atmospheres. It’s divided into segments, and it and a five-layer, tennis court-sized sun shield can fold inside a rocket and later unfurl.
The mirror is the most important aspect of Webb, as it is optimized to see near- and mid-infrared light invisible to the human eye. This differs from the Hubble Telescope, which only shows optical light humans can see. An infrared telescope like Webb can not only see older and colder objects, but it also has the ability to see through the dust that obscures stars and other objects in the images transmitted from Hubble.
This is key, as it will allow scientists to see tell-tale combinations of different gases – known as “biosignatures” – such as oxygen and methane.
“The James Webb Space Telescope does have the capability to measure those key biosignatures,” said Nikole Lewis, an astronomer at Cornell University. “It’s within scope for the James Webb Space Telescope to find hints of life on rocky planets.”
NASA isn’t calling Webb a replacement for Hubble, rather an extension of what it’s accomplished. While Hubble orbits the earth at 570 kilometers above, Webb will sit 1.5 million kilometers away, at the Earth-Sun L2 Lagrange point. The L2 is the region where the gravitational pull from the earth and the sun balance to create the ideal long-term position for telescopes.
From this location, Webb will be able to study planets outside of our solar system, as well as light that has been traveling for almost the entire history of the universe.
“Webb will reveal new and unexpected discoveries, and help mankind understand the origins of the universe and our place in it,” said NASA in a statement.
The idea for the Webb Telescope came about over three decades ago, and its construction involved 1,200 scientists, engineers, and technicians from 14 countries and more than 28 U.S. states. The aim was to build a telescope that could capture light emanating from the first galaxies in the universe, and the effort has cost $10 billion.
It is the largest space telescope in history, and is estimated to be 100 times more powerful than Hubble.
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Howdy
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It may change what can be seen, but how can anyone know that what is seen, is the reality?
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Andy
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Do you think there is any reason it isn’t?
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Howdy
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There is no definition, no proof of what is seen other than what the observer can see, or believes they can see.
“I am looking forward to the big day and the amazing science to come,” he added.”
Because these people believe something they view is a particular thing, means nothing. Without proof, It isn’t science.
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itsme
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They’ll be able to count golf balls on the Moon now
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Opus
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What’s funny? William Shatner is going into space next week. Capt. Kirk is gonna beat JWST to space.
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Herb Rose
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Doesn’t anyone think it odd that the electromagnetic waves emitted by an object with the least energy (infrared and radio waves) are able to travel further than the high energy shorter shorter wave lengths?
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Howdy
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Short waves, more absorption? In my limited understanding, longer wavelength radio waves for example can bounce around the planet to reach far greater distances, while high frequencies are more, line of sight.
https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/why-do-long-wavelengths-travel-further-than-short-wavelengths.63496/
https://www.anl.gov/article/7-things-you-may-not-know-about-xrays
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Herb Rose
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Hi Howy,
What wavelengths are absorbed is a function of the object absorbing the energy and the bonds that form it. In water the longer red wavelengths are absorbed first and the shorter blues penetrate further.
The reason radio waves are reflected by the scarce particles in the upper atmosphere is because of the ions (ionosphere) emitted by the sun and captured by the Earth’s magnetic and electric fields (van Allen Belts) or from the shorter x-rays coming from the sun dislodging electrons from the atoms in the atmosphere.
When matter absorbs energy it equalizes with that energy and re-emits it, in essence becoming transparent, so in space (where there is no matter) what is blocking the shorter wavelengths from reaching us? The fact that longer wavelengths travel further is evidence that the particle theory (photon) of light is wrong and both Planck and Einstein were wrong.
Herb
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Howdy
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“The reason radio waves are reflected by the scarce particles in the upper atmosphere is because of the ions (ionosphere) emitted by the sun and captured by the Earth’s magnetic and electric fields (van Allen Belts) or from the shorter x-rays coming from the sun dislodging electrons from the atoms in the atmosphere.”
But it doesn’t happen to the short wavelength: https://www.pa9x.com/propagation/
Don’t know about the rest of your answer. All i need to know is the length of an aerial active element to receive a frequency I’m after at max efficiency, and that’s a simple equation. The rest has no meaning to me
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Jerry Krause
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Hi Herb and Howdy and other PSI Readers,
This article is good and Herb asks a very good question: “Doesn’t anyone think it odd that the electromagnetic waves emitted by an object with the least [less]energy (infrared and radio waves) are able to travel further than the high energy [ultraviolet and visible waves) shorter shorter wave lengths?”
And Howdy is a philosopher who seems to not to know if he exists when he looks at himself in a mirror: “It may change what can be seen, but how can anyone know that what is seen, is the reality?”
Therefore, he (I only assume) questions if anything, which he (or anyone else) sees, is reality. So, I, a Scientist, immediately dismiss anything that Howdy writes because he probably doesn’t exist.
Howdy suggests that Photo 2 (https://principia-scientific.com/the-corvallis-or-uscrn-site-a-natural-laboratory-part-three/) might not represent reality!!! You, a PSI Reader must form your own opinion.
But to form an opinion about this essay you must read it. For this (must read it) is reality. And I will not try to review what you will read if you do read it. I will only tell you that I believe it answers Herb’s very good question. But I suspect you might need to ponder a bit that which you read to SEE the answer.
Have a good day, Jerry
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Howdy
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“And Howdy is a philosopher who seems to not to know if he exists when he looks at himself in a mirror: “It may change what can be seen, but how can anyone know that what is seen, is the reality?”
My turn to get hen-pecked again jerry. I fully know who, what, and why I am, it is you that must learn those lessons, but will you when you can’t see anything but what you want to. Remember when you wrote this:
“You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgement on some else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgement do the same things.” (Romans 2:1 NIV)
Ironic, but in your case, fully understandable. Perhaps you should try to live up to the expectations of the good book instead of flaunting it for your own purposes.
Living in a box is all you know it seems. You believe anything that might seem true in your limited understanding.
Science requires fact. Without proof to back up a claim there is no fact, only false assumption. THAT POINT is INDISPUTABLE, and you should know better, unless you want to sacrifice your integrity for the sake of a petty insult contest. Something you are well versed in.
Now, go back to your (closed) box and please stop droning on.
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Howdy
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“Howdy suggests that Photo 2 (https://principia-scientific.com/the-corvallis-or-uscrn-site-a-natural-laboratory-part-three/) might not represent reality!!! You, a PSI Reader must form your own opinion.”
Since I never commented in that particular article, you are nothing more than a liar jerry, and may God forgive you, but the PSI reader can decide.
The difference between that article and this one is that the article you quoted is on the Earth, so I can visit. Not so with universal matters.
Wow, how many times can you embarrass yourself?
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Tom
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While I have a natural interest in astronomy, I cannot ignore the irony of these projects. We hope to find life on other panets or moons, while the powers that be here on earth have no qualms about destroying life on this planet…especially human life. And we think humans are so intelligent?
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