The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is one of the most powerful observatories ever built. It can detect light from galaxies that formed over 13 billion years ago, giving scientists a glimpse into the earliest stages of the universe. Unlike the Hubble Telescope, Webb observes in the infrared spectrum, allowing it to see distant and faint objects invisible to regular telescopes or the human eye.
Webb’s unique design focuses on infrared observation, enabling it to see through cosmic dust clouds and capture sharper images of newborn stars, early galaxies, and exoplanets. Its position—about 1 million miles away from Earth at the L2 Lagrange point—keeps it shielded from Earth’s heat and light, improving its accuracy and sensitivity.
As light from distant galaxies travels through the expanding universe, it stretches and shifts into the infrared wavelength. The JWST is built to detect this stretched light, allowing astronomers to study ancient cosmic objects that would otherwise remain invisible to optical telescopes.
Webb’s primary mirror is an engineering marvel—21 feet (6.5 meters) wide and made up of 18 gold-coated beryllium hexagonal segments. This design reflects far more light than Hubble’s mirror, helping Webb capture faint signals from deep space with exceptional precision and detail.
• NIRCam (Near Infrared Camera): Captures light from stars and galaxies, and uses a coronagraph to block bright starlight, enabling the detection of faint nearby planets.
• MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument): Detects cooler and fainter heat signatures and operates at about -447°F (-266°C) using a cryocooler to maintain ultra-low temperatures.
Infrared signals are essentially heat energy. If Webb were warm, its own heat would interfere with the faint infrared signals from space. To prevent this, it uses a five-layer sunshield and a cryocooler to keep its instruments extremely cold, ensuring maximum sensitivity and accuracy in observations.
Webb’s cameras record invisible infrared light as digital data. Scientists then convert this data into visual images by assigning specific colours to different wavelengths. These processed images reveal intricate details about galaxy structures, star formations, and chemical compositions in the universe.
The James Webb Space Telescope helps scientists explore the origins of stars, planets, and galaxies. It can detect the presence of water vapour, carbon-based molecules, and other biosignatures in the atmospheres of distant exoplanets—making it a crucial tool in the search for potentially habitable worlds and the study of life beyond Earth.
The James Webb Space Telescope represents a historic leap in our ability to observe the cosmos. By peering deeper into space and further back in time than ever before, Webb is not just enhancing our understanding of the universe—it’s helping humanity uncover its very origins.
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