The James Webb Space Telescope to Study the Early Universe
The James Webb Space Telescope to Study the Early Universe
Eric Baldwin, May 1, 2022
The JWST
The James Webb Space Telescope finally launched at the end of 2021, after being in development since 2011. Plans for this telescope, which is the Hubble Space Telescope’s predecessor, have been underway since the early 1990s. Unlike Hubble, the JWST has a 21 foot aperture compared to Hubble’s 8, which allows the JWST to see much fainter objects. Additionally, the JWST will be able to detect light in the infrared spectrum. This gives the JWST several advantages over Hubble; namely that, due to the expansion of the universe, the light emitted from distant objects is redshifted into the infrared spectrum. Additionally, infrared light can pass unobstructed through gas and dust that would block visible wavelengths.
Sneaking a Peek into the Early Universe
By looking into the distant universe, the JWST will be able to peer back in time to see light from the very early universe. This light was emitted by the very first generation of stars which were formed after the “dark ages” of the universe. The JWST was designed to be able to see these faint sources, which have been shifted to the infrared spectrum. Astronomers hope to study the evolution of the early universe, to see how galaxies and other large scale structures first formed. One of the goals of the JWST is to study the creation and dispersion of heavy elements (what astronomers have a habit of incorrectly calling metals) in the early universe. It is believed that these elements are created through nuclear fusion in the cores of stars, and are then blown out into the universe when the star explodes in a supernova. However, this process is not fully understood. Astronomers hope to change that by looking back in time and studying these first generation stars.
Sources: https://astronomy.com/news/2022/04/how-the-james-webb-space-telescope-will-peer-back-in-time
https://jwst.nasa.gov/content/about/faqs/faq.html#howlong
https://www.jwst.nasa.gov/
Can you explain what makes JWST be able to detect and accomplish its job rather than other telescopes? This is a interesting topic for human being to explore the universe, do you know what stops human from starting this mission earlier?
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