Very soon humanity will be able to see the deepest images of the universe that have ever been taken. In two weeks, the $ 10 billion James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) – NASA’s super-expensive, super-powerful deep-field imaging device – will release its first full-color images, and agency officials suggested today that they could only be the beginning.
“This is further than humanity has ever seen,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson during a media briefing on Wednesday (he was calling because he had tested positive for COVID-19 the night before). “We are just beginning to understand what the Web can and will do.
NASA launched James Webb last December; since then, it has been conducting a specialized start-up process that includes fine-tuning all 18 of its huge mirror segments. A few months ago, NASA shared a “selfie” marking the successful operations of the IR camera and the main mirrors. Earlier this month, the agency said the first images of the telescope would be ready for public debut at 10:30 a.m. ET on July 12.
One aspect of the universe that JWST will reveal are exoplanets or planets outside our solar system – in particular their atmospheres. This is key to understanding whether there are other planets in the universe similar to ours, or whether planetary life can be found in atmospheric conditions that are different from those on Earth. And Thomas Zurbuchen, assistant administrator of NASA’s scientific missions directorate, confirmed that images of the atmospheric spectrum of the exoplanet will be shared with the public on July 12.
In essence, James Webb’s exceptional capacity to capture the infrared spectrum means that he will be able to detect small molecules such as carbon dioxide. This will allow scientists to actually study whether and how atmospheric compositions shape the ability of life on the planet to emerge and develop.
NASA officials also shared some good news: the agency’s estimates of the telescope’s excess fuel capacity were accurate, and JWST will be able to capture images of space in about 20 years.
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“These 20 years will not only allow us to go deeper into history and time, but we will go deeper into science because we will have the opportunity to learn, grow and make new observations,” said the deputy administrator of NASA Pam Melroy.
JWST did not have an easy trip to deep space. The whole project was very close to not happening at all, Nelson said, after he ran out of money and Congress considered canceling it altogether. In addition, it encountered many delays due to technical problems. Then, when it reached space, it was immediately signaled by a micrometeoroid, an event that certainly made every NASA employee shudder.
But overall, “it’s been an incredible six months,” confirmed Webb project manager Bill Ox.
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