The James Webb Space Telescope is set to launch in late 2018. This telescope will REVOLUTIONIZE the way we view our Universe. Here are five things you need to know about this beautiful instrument.
1. IT IS THE LARGEST TELESCOPE WE'VE SENT INTO SPACE
Compared to our current Hubble Space Telescope, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is considered Hubble 2.0! It weighs a whopping 6 tons and has a mirror that is 21 feet wide (compared to Hubble’s 7.10 foot mirror). The JWST mirror is so large and delicate that it has to be segmented and folded up during launch and unfolded once in orbit. (Very technical process!)
Hubble Space Telescope mirror vs James Webb Space Telescope mirror
2. WE WILL BE ABLE TO SEE THE MOST DISTANT GALAXIES
JWST will basically be a time machine. Using mirrors that can detect light from the most distant galaxies, we will be able to see light from the earliest star and galaxy formation. The telescope is so powerful, that if it was positioned on the moon (238,000mi away), it could detect a child’s night light on earth.
3. WE ONLY HAVE ONE SHOT
This is one of the most complicated things we’ve launched into space. Everything has to go exactly right- the first time around. The JWST will venture out 4x further than the moon. 1 million miles away! Way further than any human has ever travelled. We currently do not have the means to travel and work on any repairs. Even the calculations for the trajectory have to be JUST RIGHT! If not, JWST could miss orbit and run out of gas in 4 years. The project has cost the US 8.8 billion dollars and a large fraction of that money has gone towards testing all functions of the telescope over and over so we can get it just right before we send it to space!
4. THE MIRRORS ARE COVERED IN GOLD
From the outside the mirrors of the JWST seem to be solid gold! But in reality, they are made of beryllium (an element that will not be affected by temperature changes). Gold however, is highly reflective and therefore an extremely thin layer is coated on all of the mirrors. Fancy!
5. WE CAN DISCOVER THE UNKNOWN
Probably the most exciting thing about launching this telescope is discovering things that we do not know exist! Before we launched Hubble, astronomers only knew what existed as far as our solar system. Now, thanks to Hubble, we have been able to see past our backyard and we have discovered dark matter, distant galaxies, black holes, and measured the age of the universe! The JWST aims to study light from stars and galaxies that formed after The Big Bang and the evolution of stars and galaxies. This telescope could also deliver answers to questions we haven't even thought to ask! Bringing us one step further into space exploration.
If you would like to know more about JSWT please check out this awesome documentary Into the Unknown