James Webb Space Telescope
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is a new and powerful space observatory that will be launched in late 2021. It is designed to study some of the most mysterious and distant objects in the universe, such as the first stars and galaxies, the formation of planetary systems, and the origins of life.
The JWST is named after James E. Webb, who was the administrator of NASA from 1961 to 1968 and played a key role in the Apollo program. The JWST is a joint project of NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) .
The JWST has four main components: a telescope, a sunshield, a spacecraft, and four scientific instruments. The telescope has a primary mirror that is 6.5 meters in diameter, which is about seven times larger than the Hubble Space Telescope's mirror . The sunshield is a five-layer structure that protects the telescope from the heat and light of the sun and allows it to operate at very low temperatures . The spacecraft provides power, communication, and control for the telescope and its instruments . The four scientific instruments are:
- The Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam), which will take high-resolution images and spectra of stars, galaxies, and exoplanets .
- The Near Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec), which will analyze the light from hundreds of objects at once and reveal their chemical composition, temperature, and motion .
- The Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI), which will observe infrared radiation from colder and dustier objects, such as young stars, protoplanetary disks, and distant galaxies .
- The Fine Guidance Sensor/Near Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph (FGS/NIRISS), which will help with the pointing and stabilization of the telescope and also perform imaging and spectroscopy of various astronomical targets .
The JWST will be launched on an Ariane 5 rocket from French Guiana and will orbit around the second Lagrange point (L2) of the Earth-Sun system, which is about 1.5 million kilometers from Earth . The JWST will have a nominal mission lifetime of five years, with a goal of ten years .
The JWST is expected to revolutionize our understanding of the cosmos and answer some of the most fundamental questions in astronomy and physics. It will also inspire future generations of scientists and explorers to pursue their curiosity and passion for discovery .
Sources
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