The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will launch in December, but it’s hard to contain excitement at the potential discoveries this telescope might make.
The super-telescope is designed to be able to see the universe further, as well as into the past, than has been observed so far.
The telescope was actually due to be launched on December 18, but had to be delayed by at least four days.
The US Space Agency said an “incident” had occurred during launch preparations that might have caused a sudden tremor at the observatory.
The new launch schedule will be confirmed after the investigation, NASA added.
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The Webb telescope is expected to detect light from the first stars that shone in the universe about 13.5 billion years ago.
“The most exciting prospect for this telescope is the idea that it can raise questions that we haven’t even thought of yet,” said Dr Amber Nicole Straughn, an astrophysicist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and deputy for the project.
“[Gagasan] that we are about to learn some truly surprising things about the universe. To me, that’s what’s most exciting about launching this telescope.”
How does the Webb telescope work and when can we see actual galaxies through this device?
The largest astronomical mirror
The Webb telescope uses an astronomical mirror 6.5 meters in diameter, the largest mirror ever orbited into space. The mirror was so big it took about two weeks to spread it out in space like origami.
The project is a joint venture between the United States, Europe and Canada that costs US$10 billion (Rp142.4 trillion).
The plan, this telescope will be placed on top of the European Ariane 5 rocket and launched from French Guiana.
BBC Once Webb launches from the rocket about 30 minutes after liftoff, the telescope will go through 344 critical moments that go according to plan in order to achieve the desired configuration.
Webb will travel 30 days to reach his orbital point, 1.5 million kilometers from Earth.
BBC When will the Webb telescope be operational?
According to Dr Straughn, it will take six months for the Webb telescope to become fully operational and transmit its first images from space.
“Once the telescope is launched into space, there is a complicated system that has to be run first. After that, it takes several months for the telescope to cool down, to unfold the mirrors, and then to turn on the instruments one by one,” explains Dr Straughn.
“So we will get the first images in the summer of 2022 (in the Northern Hemisphere),” he continued.
BBC Following in the footsteps of the Hubble Telescope
The Webb telescope is designed to see parts of the universe that are currently inaccessible to the Hubble telescope.
In its three decades of operation, Hubble has changed the way we think about the universe by providing the most important picture of the universe. These include images of the formation of gas and stardust dubbed the “Pillars of Creation” and a view of 10,000 galaxies known as the “Hubble Ultra Deep Field”.
Although Hubble could still be operational for another 10 to 20 years, the Webb telescope is considered a successor with more significant capabilities.
Webb will show the universe through infrared, capturing light that the human eye cannot see, while Hubble has limited infrared features.
Nasa/ESAWebb also has a much larger mirror than Hubble. With this larger light-catching area, Webb can see farther into the past than Hubble.
In addition, Hubble is in orbit around the earth, while Webb will be 1.5 million kilometers from the earth or four times farther than the moon.
“Webb is building what Hubble is capable of during its 31 beautiful years in orbit,” said Dr Antonella Nota of the European Space Agency.
“Despite the fact that Hubble is a relatively small telescope with a main mirror of 2.4 meters, Hubble has been able to capture images of the universe up to several hundred million years since the Big Bang.
“With 100 sensitivity enhancements, Webb can surpass [pencapaian] and see how the first galaxies in the universe formed.”
What will be seen through the Webb telescope?
According to NASA, the longer wavelengths allow Webb to look closer into the past and can trace the formation of previously unobserved galaxies.
Nasa/ESA/S. Beckwith (STScI)/HUDF TeamThe telescope can also see into dust clouds, where stars and planetary systems form today.
According to Dr Straughn, the first year of observations with JWST covered the breadth of astrophysics.
“This really covers everything from studying the planets in our solar system to searching for the first galaxies that were born more than 13.5 billion years ago, and everything about space and time in between,” said Dr Straughn.
Look for signs of life from other planets
The Webb telescope could also help look for signs of life on other planets, as it can penetrate and see what molecules are in the atmospheres of other planets.
“Of course we don’t promise that we will find any signs of life,” said Dr Straughn.
“But it would not be an exaggeration to say that this telescope is definitely a major step in the search for habitable planets in the Milky Way.”
NASA“There are so many benefits from this telescope,” he said. At the very least, it expands our knowledge of the universe and strengthens our connection with everything around us.
“When I look at the stars and the night sky, I feel that connection.”
“Literally, our lives as humans emerged from the remnants of stellar explosions billions of years ago.”
“We are connected to the universe. I think it’s important to look back in time so we get the bigger picture of life.”
*Fay Nurse in London contributed to this report.
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