The world’s largest and most powerful space telescope, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, was launched into space Saturday. Tagged as “humanity’s new eyes,” this telescope took over two decades, thousands of international scientists and billons of dollars to complete. The 29-day journey to its sitting spot on the edge of the universe is just another testament to what humans can achieve.
The JWST will replace the ageing Hubble Telescope. Some scientists say that while Hubble primarily studies optical and ultraviolent wavelengths, Webb, with its much larger mirrors will concern itself with the Universe in the infrared. Secondly, while Hubble is closer to Earth, Webb at 1.5 million kilometers away will be able to peer further back into time. Also, Hubble orbits the Earth at an altitude of 570 km. Webb will not be within the orbit and that is why it was launched into space from a rocket vehicle system.
In short, while Hubble will continue and concern itself with “things in view,” Webb with its superior aperture can look beyond. In space, the longer the “gaze,” the further it amounts to a rewind in time. Thus, it will be possible to study colder and distant places, discover newer constellations still in formation and also peer through cosmic dust.
However, due to its distance, it will be too far away from Earth to repair. Unlike the Hubble, which has been repaired and upgraded at various points in time, since its launch in 1990.
