Deployment of James Webb Telescope

January 11, 2022

The James Webb telescope was launched by NASA on Christmas eve. The telescope can unfold only when it is in the orbit. The telescope succeeds Hubble telescope.

About James Webb Telescope

It was jointly developed by NASA, Canadian Space Agency and European Space Agency. It was launched in Ariane rocket. The unfolding of the telescope is human controlled.

Milestones

The telescope was launched to scan the galaxies and stars formed 13.7 bilion years ago. Cost of the telescope is 10 billion USD.

Deployment of James Webb Telescope

The telescope took 15 days to align to its right form. It had 18 segments and they were all aligned manually. It took 12 days to align the mirrors. The alignment process is still going on and it is to take three months to get the telescope ready for its first flight.

Objectives

The telescope will look further back than the Hubble’s telescope. It has a larger mirror. These mirrors are tuned to the IR (Infra red).
James Webb Telescope is to study exoplanets and atmospheres.
Also, the telescope will search for atmospheres similar to the earth’s.
It will search for galaxies formed during big bang. Also, it will determine the evolution process of galaxies. It will observe the star formation. Also, the telescope will measure chemical and physical properties of planets.

Location

The telescope is to be placed in an orbit that is 1.5 million kilometres from the earth. This is called second Lagrange Point L2. It is not placed in the orbit of the earth.

James Webb Telescope to study the Dark Ages

There are five ages of the Universe. They are Primordial Era, Stelliferous Era, Degenerate Era, Black Hole Era and Dark Era.

Primordial Era

During this time, the Big Bang, inflation and Big Bang Nucleosynthesis occurred. Big Bang is nothing but the universe expansion. Then the electrons recombined with the nuclei.

Stelliferous Era

Here the matter is arranged in the form of stars, galaxy clusters and galaxies.

Degenerate Era

It is the era of brown dwarfs, neutron stars, white dwarfs, black holes.

Black Hole Era

At the end of this era only low energy protons, positrons, electrons and neutrinos will remain.

Dark Era

Here very diffusive matter remains. The energy levels are low. The positrons and electrons combine to form positronium.

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