James Webb Telescope- Setting new boundaries

Hello everyone! Welcome to my space blog!

Today we will be discussing the James Webb Telescope, one of the most advanced telescopes that was developed, and we will also talk about what this telescope will do to help grow the role in space exploration.

The JWST (James Webb Telescope) has been in planning since 2004 and was set to launch on December 25, 2021 at 4:20 AM PST. JWST is known to be a collaboration between many different space administrations such as, NASA, ESA, CSA, and will be operated by Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, Maryland.  

 The James Webb supplies a giant mirror which allows the telescope to examine the universe with no limits and infrared primary cameras for high resolution imaging spectroscopy of the different things the telescope investigates. With these infrared cameras, we will be able to see through dust clouds and distinguish objects that are too cool to emit light. Recently, the JWST discovered an exoplanet that is almost the same size as Earth in a different galaxy. The telescope will study the non-reachable parts of our universe along with our early universe. Such as the formation of stars and galaxies. Along with these many capabilities, the telescope will also be able to study the ice surfaces of the two moons, Europa and Ganymede. 

As we know, the James Webb telescope is the successor of the Hubble telescope and not a replacement. The Hubble is like a base for the JWST. Scientists used characteristics from the Hubble and built upon that to make the JWST a more advanced telescope. As the inventor of the Hubble telescope Edwin Hubble rightly said, “Equipped with his five senses, man explores the universe around him and calls the adventure Science.”

The Heart of the Milky Way

The JWST has also revealed new features in the heart of the Milky Way. By capturing images of the dense center of our galaxy in unprecedented detail, the telescope has shown us never-before-seen features that astronomers are still working to explain. The star-forming region, named Sagittarius C, is about 300 light-years from the Milky Way’s central supermassive black hole, Sagittarius A. The images reveal an incredible amount of detail, allowing scientists to study star formation in this extreme environment in a way that was not possible before.

The James Webb Space Telescope is revolutionizing our understanding of the universe. Its powerful instruments and advanced technology are providing us with new insights into the formation of stars, the behavior of black holes, and the structure of our galaxy. As the JWST continues to explore the cosmos, we can expect even more exciting discoveries that will deepen our knowledge and inspire future generations of astronomers.

Stay Curious, Stay Current

-Eishita Singh