First deployed in 1990, The Hubble space telescope was the first of its kind. Unencumbered by light pollution and our planets atmosphere, it has in its tenure achieved an impressive list of discoveries. Among them, its helped us better understand dark matter and dark energy, discover proto-planets and super-massive black holes, helped us fine-tune our estimate for the age of the universe13.75 billion years old, and much more. Despite its remarkable record, its getting old and is in need of retirement. So, whats going to replace it?
An even more remarkable piece of equipment, The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST or Webb). This is the most sophisticated telescopes ever created. It has a 21 ft. (6.5 meter) gold-coated, primary mirror array, six times larger in area than Hubbles. The mirror is made from 18 separate segments.
These segments are made of an ultralight substance known as beryllium. They unfold and adjust as needed and take in seven times more light than Hubbles mirror. This is an infrared telescope, meaning it picks up infrared radiation, in addition to the visible light on the electromagnetic spectrum. This makes it so powerful, it can even see through cosmic dust.
One of the gold covered segments of the mirror array. NASA.
The telescope carries other instruments including cameras and spectrometers which can detect incredibly faint signals. Another impressive feature is called the NIRSpec, which uses programmable micro-shutters that can observe up to 100 objects at once.
John Mather is an astrophysicist and the senior project scientist for Webb. He said, "We've done two decades of innovation and hard work, and this is the result we're opening up a whole new territory of astronomy." This is such a sensitive instrument, it would be able to detect an object the size of a bumble bee, as far away as the moon is from Earth, according to Mather.
Hubbles replacement is set to launch in October of next year from French Guiana. Webb will be nestled atop an Ariane 5 rocket, a heavy launcher primarily used by the European Space Agency (ESA). This mission has been a collaborative effort among NASA, the ESA, the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), Northrop Grumman, and the Space Telescope Science Institute.
Model of the James Webb Space Telescope. NASA.
Webb was first called the "Next Generation Space Telescope" (NGST). But a push was made to name it after James E. Webb, the second administrator of NASA, who ran the agency between 1961 and 1968. He oversaw the Apollo missions to the moon and many argue that although not a trained scientist himself, he did much for the advancement of science and space exploration. In this sense, the NGST embodies the legacy of the man.
Cutting edge space-ready technology is never cheap. The price tag for Webb all told is $8.8 billion. And just like anything breaking new ground, it comes with significant risk, which is why it's currently undergoing a battery of testing. While the Hubble was placed in low Earth orbit, the Webb is going to be positioned about a million miles (1.5 million km) away. So if something goes wrong, itll be difficult to get up there and fix it. Once placed, itll be a nail-biting six months before its even operational.
In its five-and-a-half to ten year mission, Webb will help us look back on the earliest moments of the universe, when galaxies were still in their infant stages. It'll beam back data using a high-frequency radio transmitter. Since space is so big, light can only travel so far, even at its incredible velocity. We measure distant bodies therefore in light years, or how many years it takes light to travel from there to Earth.
The 30 Doradus Nebula. A vast region found by Hubble where thousands of stars are born. Getty Images.
That means looking deeply into space is also looking back in time. For instance, it takes eight minutes for light from the sun to reach Earth. A better example, the nearest star system, Proxima Centauri, which is over four light-years away, appears to us on Earth as it was a little over four years ago. If a cataclysmic event occurred, we wouldn't see it until four years later.
In this way, Webb will allow us to see how planets, stars, and galaxies were created, and how the universe has changed over time. It will also aid in the search for exoplanets, as well as give us a closer look at newly discovered ones, for signs of water, an atmosphere, vegetation, and even intelligent life, such as any visible technology or signs of pollution. Recently, weve discovered thousands of exoplanets, including many small, Earth-like ones. So there are lots of good candidates that could potentially harbor life.
To learn more about the Webb and how it differs from the Hubble, click here:
Excerpt from:
The Hubble Telescope's Successor Will Aid in the Search For Extraterrestrial Life - Big Think
- 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]
- The First Images from the James Webb Telescope Are Breathtakingand Significant - The New Yorker - July 21st, 2022 [July 21st, 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]