The James Webb space telescope

[MrHammy]

Hubble's successor launches next year promising to vastly expand our knowledge of the universe. Exciting times ahead!

https://www.spaceflightinsider.com/...-telescope-to-unlock-wonders-of-the-universe/

 

[Full Lotus]

Oooh, interesting. Thanks for the heads up Mr. H.

 

[psychedelVic]

So excited. Should’ve been up already was postponed pre-Covid.

 

[psychedelVic]

Is that Uranus?
No but it is a black hole.

 

[psychedelVic]

Coupled with the George Floyd Microscope
we should learn a lot.

 

[psychedelVic]

Thankful it’s not the Dark Webb telescope.

 

[NabLa]

Very excited about the James Webb. Not only is it orders of magnitude more sensitive than Hubble, but it's also an infrared telescope - a lot of these pesky dust clouds that obscure visible light coming from inside or behind are transparent to infrared.

Let's hope it's right first time though - James Webb orbits the sun directly, not us. It can't get "glasses" like the Hubble did after its launch fiasco.

 

[HarryJonesJr]

On the one hand, it admires me as a scientific achievement, and on the other hand, it does not contain any practical benefit for me and my children. Maybe my grandchildren will learn something real about other worlds, but I do not expect to find this during my life.

 

[NabLa]

it does not contain any practical benefit for me and my children

Thankfully not everyone thinks like this, or we would still be living in caves.

 

[MrHammy]

On the one hand, it admires me as a scientific achievement, and on the other hand, it does not contain any practical benefit for me and my children. Maybe my grandchildren will learn something real about other worlds, but I do not expect to find this during my life.

Well then I'm happy for your Grandchildren

 

[Torsion Jim]

On the one hand, it admires me as a scientific achievement, and on the other hand, it does not contain any practical benefit for me and my children. Maybe my grandchildren will learn something real about other worlds, but I do not expect to find this during my life.

The tyranny of pragmatism

 

[NabLa]

Actually, we're learning a lot of real stuff about exoplanets. Sizes, orbits, atmosphere compositions, relative abundance of planet types, etc. There's a real chance we could find one some day with tell-tale signs of biology in the atmosphere during our lifetime. James Webb is not a planet finder instrument though, but it might be useful as a targeted tool to find out more about a good candidate. Who knows what it's possible with it.

 

[MrHammy]

Exactly and fingers crossed the infrared will show a lot of new things we wouldn't expect!

According to NASA's website it will start it's science mission 6 months after launch

FAQ Full General Public Webb Telescope/NASA

James Webb Space Telescope

www.jwst.nasa.gov

 

[HarryJonesJr]

There's a real chance we could find one some day with tell-tale signs of biology in the atmosphere during our lifetime.

Oh! I would like to see it)) A new planet for those people who do not know how to live in harmony with their own. Sorry, apparently this really looks quite cynical from the outside but humanity has killed its faith in him for me personally.

 

[NabLa]

Who knows what sort of alien biology is out there and how toxic or otherwise it'd be to us. If we put aside the small matter of interstellar travel. One possible (?) avenue to reach the stars: