The James Webb telescope can investigate the formation of early galaxies.
REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, PARIS — The James Webb Space Telescope will open new sights to astronomical objects across the universe. The telescope is expected to probe galaxies that formed billions of years ago to the clouds of gas and dust that surround newborn stars. This telescope is like a time machine that can take us to universe 13 billion years ago.
Infrared light is the heat-carrying part of the electromagnetic spectrum with wavelengths longer than visible light. The Hubble Space Telescope is optimized for visible light but can also detect some ultraviolet (shorter wavelengths than visible) and some infrared.
Reported from Space, Wednesday (30/3/2022), Webb was developed as an infrared specialist and can be much larger infrared. This ability allows him to see deeper into the universe than Hubble did.
As the universe expands, galaxies that are farther away from us are moving away at a greater speed than those that are closer. The light emitted by these galaxies is shifted to longer wavelengths, redder, as a result of the Doppler effect (the same effect that distorts the sound of passing ambulances), also known as redshift in astronomy.
Since infrared light is less affected by dust interference, Webb will also allow astronomers to see what’s going on in dust clouds in the closer universe. “We can penetrate the dust and see the processes that lead to the formation of stars and planets,” said THIS in a statement.
This means, for example, that Hubble’s 2020 view of the iconic Eagle Nebula’s “Pillars of Creation” in infrared could look different from Webb’s infrared view. Pillars are well-known star formation zones, where Webb can provide more insight.
“Star formation in the local universe occurs at the center of dense, dusty clouds, obscured from our eyes at normal visible wavelengths,” the ESA said in a statement.
Peering at objects in the universe that are closer together will provide additional answers that will further help astronomers build their understanding of the evolution of the universe.
–
