James Webb Telescope
The James Webb Telescope(JWST) is the biggest and the most powerful space telescope in the world that was launched by NASA in 2021. It is designed to take astrophysical observations and capture high-resolution images of distant galaxies, stars, and planets.
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| JWST Credit: NASA GSFC/CIL/Adriana Manrique Gutierrez |
The JWST is equipped with advanced technology such as an infrared telescope, and it has been designed mainly to detect infrared light.
Infrared waves are emitted by those thighs who radiate heat .That’s why the telescope will capture stars, galaxies and planets because they all emit some amount of heat. And it is able to see through the cosmic dust, gas clouds, and other obstructions that block visible light.
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| credit:- Traveller |
Technical specifications of JWST
It is a very advanced telescope. As we know it works on infrared waves which are emitted by bodies who radiate heat and when the telescope is working it also radiates some heat which interferes in its working. That’s with a sun shield that protects the telescope from direct sunlight, and maintains its temperature about -230 degree celsius. And a giant mirror made up of 18 hexagonal segments with a diameter of 6.5 metres, which is around 100 times more powerful than the Hubble Space Telescope.
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| Credit: European space agency |
The primary objectives of the JWST are to understand the formation of planets and stars, to determine the physical and chemical properties of the universe, and to study the origins of galaxies, stars, and planets. One of the core goals of the JWST is to study the universe during the first billion years after the Big Bang. This period is known as the “dark ages” because it is largely unobservable due to the absence of light-emitting sources. With the JWST’s unprecedented sensitivity, scientists hope to uncover new information about star formation and the formation of galaxies.
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| credit:- Toronto star |
Supporting partners in JWST
The JWST project is a result of an international collaboration between NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). The JWST is being built, tested, and operated by engineers and scientists from all these organisations.
Location of JWST in space
For the better functioning of JWST it is important to block the heat and light of the sun. So it is located 1.5 million kilometres away from the earth. At the point known as the L2 point means the second Lagrangian point. And JWST keeps revolving with earth so the sun will be hidden throughout the revolution.
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| credit:- Gizbot |
Budget of JWST
The JWST project has faced many challenges. If any of them come true, then the entire project would be as good as over. The total cost of the telescope is about $ 10 billion .
The James Webb Space Telescope is one of the most ambitious and complex scientific projects ever undertaken. The JWST has the potential to revolutionize our understanding of the universe, and it is a brilliant example of how international collaboration and scientific innovation can lead to advances in our knowledge of the natural world.
The JWST will be a remarkable leap forward for space science, promising to rewrite the textbooks of modern astrophysics. Thank you by:- Vidit Kumar singh.