How the James Webb Space Telescope is looking for the edge of the universe?
Dear Readers, a little while ago we heard that a telescope was sent into space to find the outer reaches of the universe. It was called the James Webb Space Telescope(JWST). Do you know how to do that?
Just imagine that you are an advanced extraterrestrial living 65 million light years away from Earth. If you observe the Earth from there with an advanced telescope, you will see a picture frame with dinosaurs in the Earth because they actually lived 65 million years ago. If you are still not curious about this, then imagine that it takes 8 minutes and 20 seconds for the sun’s rays to reach the earth, and if the sun suddenly disappears, we will know it after 8 minutes and 20 seconds. Now you understand how the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) can find the outer reaches of the universe. Dear readers, the following is an excerpt from an introduction to the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).
Introduction about James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is a space telescope which conducts infrared astronomy. As the largest optical telescope in space, its high resolution and sensitivity allow it to view objects too old, distant, or faint for the Hubble Space Telescope. This will enable investigations across many fields of astronomy and cosmology, such as observation of the first stars, the formation of the first galaxies, and detailed atmospheric characterization of potentially habitable exoplanets.
The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) led JWST's design and development and partnered with two main agencies: the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). The NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) in Maryland managed telescope development, the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore on the Homewood Campus of Johns Hopkins University operates JWST, and the prime contractor was Northrop Grumman. The telescope is named after James E. Webb, who was the administrator of NASA from 1961 to 1968 during the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs.
The James Webb Space Telescope was launched on 25 December 2021 on an Ariane 5 rocket from Kourou, French Guiana, and arrived at the Sun–Earth L2 Lagrange point in January 2022. The first JWST image was released to the public via a press conference on 11 July 2022. Initial designs for the telescope, then named the Next Generation Space Telescope, began in 1996. Two concept studies were commissioned in 1999, for a potential launch in 2007 and a US$1 billion budget. The program was plagued with enormous cost overruns and delays; a major redesign in 2005 led to the current approach, with construction completed in 2016 at a total cost of US$10 billion. The high-stakes nature of the launch and the telescope's complexity were remarked upon by the media, scientists, and engineers.
May you have a day of increasing knowledge.
Source- Wikipedia