Since its launch, arguably the roughest luck the James Webb Space Telescope has had is hitting a micrometeoroid the size of a grain of sand. But, of the three hundred and forty-four details that were once listed as things that could go wrong and destroy the whole mission, none has happened. On July 12th, the first five scientific images taken by the telescope were released to the public. The level of detail has far surpassed expectations. These images carry news about the early universe, the birth and death of stars, the collision of galaxies, and the atmospheres of exoplanets. (Exoplanets are ones not in our solar system.) And theyre very, very pretty. The smudgy-pastel feel that previous telescopes delivered is not present. The sharpness and clarity might make you think of Vermeerwhat is being painted is light.
I am beyond cloud nine, the astrophysicist Marcia Rieke told me. Rieke has served as the chief scientist for one of the telescopes main instruments, the NIRCam; her husband, George Rieke, has been the chief U.S. scientist for another instrument, the MIRI. Marcias team looks at some of the shortest wavelengths that the telescope can perceive, while Georges team looks at some of the longest. There was always a possibility that the highly complex J.W.S.T. would disappoint, or fail altogether. Now I feel like the young people who worked on this projectthey have a bright future in astronomy, Marcia said.
Marcia Rieke had an opportunity to see the first images a few days before they were released, because she was asked to make a short presentation to help interpret them. The first one, called a deep-field image, is of a patch of sky that, from Earth, is about the equivalent of what would be occluded by a grain of sandor a micrometeoroidheld out at arms length. The Hubble telescope, which focussed on a similar patch of sky for two weeks, revealed thousands more galaxies than expected. The new image, which took less than a day to make, shows immensely more detailand more galaxies. No matter where weve pointed J.W.S.T., even in the images taken during commissioning that would last a few tens of seconds, we kept getting these galaxies that we werent even looking for in the background, Rieke said. She said that the team started to term these incidental galaxies photobombers.
Rieke was surprised by how moved she was by the beauty of the pictures. I knew computationally that the diffraction was limited to a micron, that the full width at half maximum was whateverI knew wed have pretty pictures, she said. I didnt expect them to be so absolutely stunning. You know, if you start out in life as a ground-based astronomer... this is not the level of detail youre used to being able to see.
After her surprise subsided, she began to look at the galaxies that appeared the reddest. Their light had been travelling the longestsometimes for more than thirteen billion years. This means that they are being seen as they were not too long after the Big Bang. They hold information about how the earliest galaxies were formed, and of what elements they consisted. Now that we have the image, we go through the process of measuring, quantitatively, how bright every spot is with every filter that you measured with, she said. Then you can get an instant estimate of how far away that galaxy is.
A list of the most interesting or unusual galaxies was put together. And what is interesting depends on who you are, she said. Maybe youre interested in the most distant galaxy. Or the one that shows a black hole. Then another J.W.S.T. instrument, NIRSpec, can give data that open up other lines of inquiries: How many heavy elements or metals are there in that galaxy? Or is the galaxy so young that those heavy elements havent had time to form? In September, a longer exposure of a deep field that is represented in a famous Hubble image will be takenten times longerwhich will bring news of even earlier, and therefore fainter, light. This light will be coming from even closer to the earliest moments of our universewhen the first little aggregates of stars have come together, Marcia said.
Each of the five images had its own Easter eggs, as one of the astronomers who presented the images live on a NASA stream put it. One, of a dying star sending out waves of energy, revealed a second star nearby, which the dying star was orbiting. Little rays of dying starlight were escaping from the clouds of dust, just as sun rays might pierce through clouds. In the image of the exoplanet WASP-96b, water vapor was seen. In the image of the Carina Nebulaa birthplace of starsa dark billow in the cloud of dust and ionized gas presented a mystery.
Rieke feels that these images are the beginning of getting to pay back to the public the moneysome ten billion dollarsthat was spent on the J.W.S.T. For pragmatists, one might think, O.K., Webb can study exoplanets in great detail, she said. We can, for example, look for evidence of climate change on an exoplanet and study that, since we dont have other examples in our solar system where we can look at the effects of carbon dioxide and other gases. But Rieke is clearly more persuaded by other kinds of gains. People need hope and challenges. And people need the spice of discovery. She said that, for scientists, these images bring a sense of scale. What does it mean to know our place in the universe? You can say, Who cares? But, if we really want to understand the universe, we need to know at least how it works.
Some people might find the level of detail in the images less like a Vermeer and more like a Hieronymus Boscheverywhere you zoom in, you get an image that is frightening, alien, or sublime. Theres something vertiginous and confusing about taking ones life seriously, until a new sense of scale alters that perspective. I spoke with Rieke while travelling with my daughter, who made an observation about our hotel room that I found relevant to, well, cosmic beauty. You know what I like about small hotel rooms? she asked. I didnt know. Theres less there to be scared of in the dark. Of course, such experiences of scale can be comforting at other ages, too.
I asked Rieke about an idea related to whats called the Drake equation. How likely is it that there are other civilizations out there, and how many might there be? Some have used the equation to say that its almost certain that there are stories a long time ago and in galaxies far, far away. Others have solved the equation to say, basically, no. Rieke said, I feel pretty confident that Webb will at some point identify an exoplanet in the habitable zone. A place thats nice and comfy, with an atmosphere whose composition is like Earths. But, she said, even with input from biologists and chemists, theres still a lot of controversy over what might be evidence for the suggestions of life.
Link:
The First Images from the James Webb Telescope Are Breathtakingand Significant - The New Yorker
- Hubble Telescope spies stormy weather and a shrinking Great Red Spot on Jupiter (video) - Space.com - March 16th, 2024 [March 16th, 2024]
- NASA's James Webb Space Telescope mission Live updates - Space.com - March 16th, 2024 [March 16th, 2024]
- Secret remains: James Webb measures the rate of expansion of the Universe - The Universe. Space. Tech - March 16th, 2024 [March 16th, 2024]
- Cosmic Expansion Mystery Suggests 'We Have Misunderstood the Universe' - Newsweek - March 16th, 2024 [March 16th, 2024]
- NASA releases an official tabletop adventure that's brave enough to ask: what would Earth be like if a dragon ... - PC Gamer - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- Hubble Telescope spies massive 'bridge of stars' connecting 2 galaxies on collision course (image) - Space.com - January 30th, 2024 [January 30th, 2024]
- Hubble telescope spots tiniest water-rich world in orbit - The Register - January 30th, 2024 [January 30th, 2024]
- This Hubble Telescope photo of a spiral galaxy will take your breath away - Space.com - January 30th, 2024 [January 30th, 2024]
- Hubble telescope spots water around tiny hot and steamy exoplanet in 'exciting discovery' - Space.com - January 30th, 2024 [January 30th, 2024]
- Old age is the one thing the Hubble telescope and its latest photo have in common - Digital Camera World - January 30th, 2024 [January 30th, 2024]
- Hubble Telescope captures massive bridge of stars between two merging galaxies that could be our new home - WION - January 30th, 2024 [January 30th, 2024]
- NASA's Hubble telescope discovers water vapor In small exoplanet's atmosphere - DNA India - January 30th, 2024 [January 30th, 2024]
- Hubble Telescope detects water vapour in the atmosphere of smallest exoplanet GJ 9827d - Tech Explorist - January 30th, 2024 [January 30th, 2024]
- See This Remarkable Spiral Galaxy from the Eyes of the Hubble Telescope - Beebom - January 30th, 2024 [January 30th, 2024]
- Have we seen the last-ever picture from the Hubble? - Digital Camera World - December 14th, 2023 [December 14th, 2023]
- NASA will try bringing the Hubble telescope back online on Friday - Digital Trends - December 14th, 2023 [December 14th, 2023]
- 30 years ago, astronauts completed the Hubble telescope's first repair. Here's how - CBC.ca - December 14th, 2023 [December 14th, 2023]
- Cosmic Chameleon: Galaxy's Stunning Transformation by Hubble Filters - SciTechDaily - November 15th, 2023 [November 15th, 2023]
- Today's Photo from Ted Grussing Photography: Tweaking ... my ... - Sedona.biz - November 15th, 2023 [November 15th, 2023]
- The science of exploration through photography The Durango ... - The Durango Herald - November 15th, 2023 [November 15th, 2023]
- Hubble telescope captures jaw-dropping 'glitzy' galactic view - Study Finds - August 8th, 2023 [August 8th, 2023]
- Planetary defense test deflected an asteroid but unleashed a ... - UCLA Newsroom - August 8th, 2023 [August 8th, 2023]
- This new tool 'cleans' annoying satellite trails from Hubble telescope photos - Space.com - June 14th, 2023 [June 14th, 2023]
- Hubble Telescope gazes into the heart of a monstrous galaxy cluster (photo) - Space.com - May 14th, 2023 [May 14th, 2023]
- NASA's Hubble telescope captures Jupiter's Great Red Spot, reveals shocking details - DNA India - May 14th, 2023 [May 14th, 2023]
- Hubble telescope spies 'peek-a-boo' exoplanets amid star's tilted dust rings - Space.com - May 14th, 2023 [May 14th, 2023]
- NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day 8 May 2023: Mesmerizing Spanish Dancer Galaxy - HT Tech - May 14th, 2023 [May 14th, 2023]
- Portugal participates in the development of a first-class instrument ... - EurekAlert - May 14th, 2023 [May 14th, 2023]
- Brandywine Art Guide: Multiplicities - women in the arts - Chadds ... - Chadds Ford Live - May 14th, 2023 [May 14th, 2023]
- Hubble telescope reveals huge star's explosion in blow-by-blow detail - Reuters - November 11th, 2022 [November 11th, 2022]
- James Webb and Hubble telescope images capture DART asteroid collision ... - November 1st, 2022 [November 1st, 2022]
- Hubble telescope peeks through 'cosmic keyhole' in stunning photo - November 1st, 2022 [November 1st, 2022]
- The 10 biggest telescopes on Earth - Space.com - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- Tragedy in the making! 2 gigantic galaxies set to crash; NASA Hubble Telescope snaps photo - HT Tech - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- Your Answers: What name would you give to a new planet? - ideastream - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- George Fitzgerald: "Serum is one of the best synthesizers ever made, hardware of software" - MusicRadar - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- JCPL Column: Looking to the stars - Daily Journal - September 29th, 2022 [September 29th, 2022]
- Hubble Telescope Captures Spectacular Image of Spiral Galaxy - Greek Reporter - September 22nd, 2022 [September 22nd, 2022]
- Hubble Telescope Captures What Might Be the Prettiest Spiral Galaxy Ever - CNET - September 22nd, 2022 [September 22nd, 2022]
- James Webb Telescope rediscovers Earendel, the farthest known star in the universe - EL PAS USA - September 22nd, 2022 [September 22nd, 2022]
- Viewpoints: The Formula Shortage Isn't Over; Male Lawmakers Aren't Doing Their Jobs As Fathers - Kaiser Health News - September 22nd, 2022 [September 22nd, 2022]
- What the Orion Nebula Looks Like to Webb Telescope Vs Hubble Telescope - Gizmodo - September 14th, 2022 [September 14th, 2022]
- JWST takes a peek at the first ever galaxies - Astrobites - September 3rd, 2022 [September 3rd, 2022]
- Scientists harness powers of Webb and Hubble in stunning galactic image - Mashable - August 30th, 2022 [August 30th, 2022]
- NASA Captured The Sound Of Space (And It's Bloody Terrifying) - Boss Hunting - August 27th, 2022 [August 27th, 2022]
- James Webb Telescope images of the planet open up new horizons of the imagination - The Indian Express - August 25th, 2022 [August 25th, 2022]
- NASA released a clip of what a black hole sounds like and it's haunting - KING5.com - August 25th, 2022 [August 25th, 2022]
- Galactic diversity captured in new Hubble telescope photo - Space.com - July 31st, 2022 [July 31st, 2022]
- What did Hubble Telescope see on your birthday? Find out here - India Today - July 31st, 2022 [July 31st, 2022]
- Opinion: At $10 billion, the Webb telescope is a bargain - Daily Press - July 31st, 2022 [July 31st, 2022]
- Bob Korechoff, 75, is an aerospace engineer who worked with a team of engineers to fix the Hubble Telescope - The Spokesman Review - July 21st, 2022 [July 21st, 2022]
- Comparing The Hubble Telescope & The James Webb Is Like Millennials Vs. Gen Z - Bustle - July 21st, 2022 [July 21st, 2022]
- Rutgers Astrophysicist Selected for Research on the James Webb Space Telescope - Rutgers University - July 21st, 2022 [July 21st, 2022]
- Pillars of Creation: $16B Space Telescope vs $500 Backyard Photo - PetaPixel - July 11th, 2022 [July 11th, 2022]
- How the Webb Telescope will unveil the mysteries of cosmic star-making factories - Inverse - July 11th, 2022 [July 11th, 2022]
- Look: The Hubble telescope reveals of luminous sea of galaxies - Yahoo News - June 30th, 2022 [June 30th, 2022]
- Palestinian Journalist: The Arab And Muslim World Is Mired In Backwardness, Light Years Behind The World's Rapid Development - Middle East Media... - June 30th, 2022 [June 30th, 2022]
- Largest star in Milky Way is DYING and could collapse into a black hole... - The US Sun - June 30th, 2022 [June 30th, 2022]
- Comparison: Webb vs Hubble Telescope - Webb/NASA - June 24th, 2022 [June 24th, 2022]
- NASA shares Hubble view of Jupiter's auroras 100 times more energetic than those on Earth - Republic World - June 24th, 2022 [June 24th, 2022]
- Sun just killed a comet! Hubble Space Telescope reveals shocking details - HT Tech - June 24th, 2022 [June 24th, 2022]
- Uncovering the Mass of Distant Stars - AZoQuantum - June 24th, 2022 [June 24th, 2022]
- Hubbles Most Iconic Images Will Be Smoked By NASAs New Space TelescopeBut Its Not Webb - Forbes - June 11th, 2022 [June 11th, 2022]
- Jun 11: Music from the cosmos, thunderbird extinction, Hubble gets the big picture and more - CBC.ca - June 11th, 2022 [June 11th, 2022]
- Why Uranus and Neptune colours are different: NASA's Hubble Telescope has the answer - HT Tech - June 7th, 2022 [June 7th, 2022]
- Hubble Telescope captures giant star 32x larger than Sun, but it will die first! Check breathtaking NASA photo - HT Tech - June 7th, 2022 [June 7th, 2022]
- The Milky Way and Andromeda Galaxies Are Set to Collide in 4 Billion Years - My Modern Met - June 7th, 2022 [June 7th, 2022]
- Hubble telescope refines universe expansion rate mystery - Space.com - May 23rd, 2022 [May 23rd, 2022]
- Hubble telescope looks deep into the Needle's Eye in this dwarf spiral galaxy photo - Space.com - May 23rd, 2022 [May 23rd, 2022]
- Hubble Telescope: Something weird going on in universe - us.bolnews.com - May 23rd, 2022 [May 23rd, 2022]
- James Webb Space Telescope and 344 Single Points of Failure - thenewstack.io - May 23rd, 2022 [May 23rd, 2022]
- Hubble clicks photo that shows future of Milky Way Galaxy - WION - May 23rd, 2022 [May 23rd, 2022]
- #SpaceSnap The Alluring Crab Nebula Captured by the Hubble and Herschel Space Telescopes - iTech Post - May 23rd, 2022 [May 23rd, 2022]
- Space is an ecosystem, too. And it's in peril - Canada's National Observer - May 13th, 2022 [May 13th, 2022]
- The best Hubble Space Telescope images of all time! - May 11th, 2022 [May 11th, 2022]
- China to beat NASA Hubble Space Telescope with its Xuntian Telescope - HT Tech - May 11th, 2022 [May 11th, 2022]
- How many types of galaxies are there in the universe? - Interesting Engineering - April 25th, 2022 [April 25th, 2022]
- NASA to make announcement Wednesday regarding Hubble Telescope - The Edwardsville Intelligencer - March 29th, 2022 [March 29th, 2022]
- Expanding Universe. The Hubble Space Telescope - Taschen - March 26th, 2022 [March 26th, 2022]
- #SpaceSnap: Hubble Space Telescope's Photo of the Heart of the Flame Nebula - iTech Post - March 26th, 2022 [March 26th, 2022]