TechDigits

Tech news
Saturday, Mar 25, 2023

Do aliens exist? The key mysteries that could be unlocked after the James Webb telescope launched

Do aliens exist? The key mysteries that could be unlocked after the James Webb telescope launched

The world's most powerful telescope is set to profoundly transform scientists' understanding of the universe and our place in it.

Scientists say a "new era of astronomy" could be brought in after the launch of the James Webb telescope.

The device is expected to profoundly transform scientists' understanding of the universe and our place in it.

NASA, which produced the $10bn infrared telescope in partnership with the European and Canadian space agencies, has hailed it as the premiere space-science observatory of the next decade.

An artist's rendering of what the telescope would look like in space.


What can the James Webb telescope do?


The instrument will give humankind its first glimpse of the infant universe as it existed when the earliest galaxies are believed to have formed.

A replacement for the Hubble telescope, Webb will be able to view the cosmos just 100 million years after the Big Bang, the theoretical flashpoint that led to the expansion of the universe 13.8 billion years ago.

By comparison, Hubble can only see back to about 400 million years following the Big Bang.

Astronomers want to use Webb to study super-massive black holes believed to occupy the centers of distant galaxies.

Cosmologists will work to map the dark matter around galaxies to reveal more about the mysterious substance thought to make up most of the universe.

The telescope's mirror consists of 18 hexagonal segments of gold-coated beryllium metal


Could the telescope find aliens?


The space observatory will also investigate whether planets outside our own solar system may be suitable for life.

Cameras on the telescope will take images of other planets to look for the presence of water and other hints of life in the atmosphere.

Professor Martin Barstow, a scientist who helped develop the device, said it could reveal the existence of extra-terrestrial life forms in space.

"We will learn about the origins of the universe and how life came about and possibly, although we can't guarantee, about other life in our galaxy as well," he said.

He described the launch as "the beginning of a new era in astronomy".

"The telescope is that important that it's going to completely change the way we view the universe and the way we view our place in it," he said.

The Hubble telescope orbiting the Earth.


How Webb works

Named after NASA's chief during most of the agency's formative decade of the 1960s, Webb is about 100 times more sensitive than Hubble.

While Hubble operated mainly at optical and ultraviolet wavelengths, Webb will be able to see the cosmos in the infrared spectrum, peering through clouds of gas and dust where stars are being born.

The new telescope's primary mirror has a much bigger light-collecting area that allows it to observe objects at greater distances.

The telescope being secured on top of the Ariane 5 rocket.


What happens after launch?


The Webb telescope will spend another month reaching its destination in solar orbit - about 1 million miles from the Earth and about four times farther away than the moon.

The Sunshield test unit for the James Webb telescope


The device's special orbital path will keep it constantly aligned with the Earth and its trajectory around the sun.

After about six months of alignment and the calibration of Webb's mirrors and instruments, the telescope's operation will be managed from the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore.

Newsletter

Related Articles

TechDigits
Close
0:00
0:00
Donald Trump arrested – Twitter goes wild with doctored pictures
Credit Suisse's Scandalous History Resulted in an Obvious Collapse - It's time for regulators who fail to do their job to be held accountable and serve as an example by being behind bars.
Russian Hackers Preparing New Cyber Assault Against Ukraine
A brief banking situation report
Elon Musk Is Planning To Build A Town In Texas For His Employees
The Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse effect is spreading around the world, affecting startup companies across the globe
Market Chaos as USDC Loses Peg to USD after $3.3 Billion Reserves Held by Silicon Valley Bank Closed.
Banking regulators close SVB, the largest bank failure since the financial crisis
In a major snub to Downing Street's Silicon Valley dreams, UK chip giant Arm has dealt a serious blow to the government's economic strategy by opting for a US listing
It's the question on everyone's lips: could a four-day workweek be the future of employment?
Corruption and Influence Buying Uncovered in International Mainstream Media: Investigation Reveals Growing Disinformation Mercenaries
Being a Tiktoker might be expensive…
China's top tech firms, including Alibaba, Tencent, Baidu, NetEase, and JD.com, are developing their own versions of Open AI's AI-powered chatbot, ChatGPT
This shocking picture, showing how terrible is the results of the earthquake in Turkey
The desk of King Carlos Alberto of Sardinia has many secret compartments
Charlie Munger, calls for a ban on cryptocurrencies in the US, following China's lead
First generation unopened iPhone set to fetch more than $50,000 at auction.
Almost 30% of professionals say they've tried ChatGPT at work
Interpol seeks woman who ran elaborate exam cheating scam in Singapore
What is ChatGPT?
Tesla reported record profits and record revenues for 2022
Microsoft is finalising plans to become the latest technology giant to reduce its workforce during a global economic slowdown
Tesla slashes prices globally by as much as 20 percent
After Failing To Pay Office Rent, Twitter May Sell User Names
FTX fraud investigators are digging deeper into Sam Bankman-Fried's inner circle – and reportedly have ex-engineer Nishad Singh in their sights
TikTok CEO Plans to Meet European Union Regulators
U.S. Moves to Seize Robinhood Shares, Silvergate Accounts Tied to FTX
Coinbase to Pay $100 Million in Settlement With New York Regulator
FTX assets worth $3.5bn held by Bahamas securities regulator
Former FTX CEO Bankman-Fried finally arrested in Bahamas after U.S. files charges
Corruption works: House Financial Services Chair Waters doesn't plan to subpoena her donor, Sam Bankman-Fried, to testify at hearing on FTX collapse
Yellen hints at ‘national security’ probe into Twitter purchase
Elon Musk reinstates Donald Trump's Twitter account.
George W. Bush and Barack Obama will hold back-to-back disinformation conferences
Solar + Powerwall ensures you never lose power, even if the grid goes down
This man paid for strangers' grocery and it moved them to tears
Meta introduces a new version of Mark Zuckerberg
Virtual Reality on billboards: BMW advertisement on Times Square
Apple CEO Tim Cook says coding should be taught as early as elementary school: 'It's the most important language you can learn'
Apple Executive Resigns After Viral TikTok Shows Him Making Crude Jokes
Huawei is not only better technology, but also protecting users better: Apple Warns Of Security Flaw For Iphones, Ipads And Macs
Mark Zuckerberg warns many teams will ‘shrink’ as Meta revenue drops
Elon Musk reportedly begged for forgiveness after his affair with Google co-founder Sergey Brin's wife
J.P. Morgan’s wealth management guru has some advice for recent college graduates on managing money and building wealth
Pentagon widens scope of UFO-hunting unit
Bezos' girlfriend Lauren Sanchez gives $1M to group focused on migrant kids at US-Mexico border
Hong Kong gets its first metaverse churches with avatars and virtual preachers
The ‘Dirty Quid Pro Quo’ Between Democrats and Big Tech
Elon Musk swore in March not to sell any Bitcoin, but Tesla cashed out 75% of its Bitcoin holdings amid the crypto winter just months later
Crypto winter continues at Gemini as another round of layoffs hits Winklevoss crypto exchange
×