Subscribe Us

Here's how the James Webb Space Telescope will lead to the discovery of aliens

 Here's how the James Webb Space Telescope will lead to the discovery of aliens

Here's how the James Webb Space Telescope will lead to the discovery of aliens
James Webb space telescope


            There is a really high chance of the James Webb Space Telescope to find aliens. 

            It has an incredible ability to look 13.4 billion years into the past. This is just 300 million years from the big bang.

            So we might get a clear view of the birth of galaxies and planets.

James Webb Space Telescope - A quick rundown

           This telescope was supposed to be launched in 2007, but due to many issues, it got delayed to 2021. 

             It has the largest primary mirror ever to send to space and that is about 6.5 meters. It is 6 times bigger than its predecessor, Hubble. 

             There are a lot of infrared instruments on this telescope; these instruments should be supercooled to work. The heat from the Sun is deviated by a 5 layer sun shield in order to cool these instruments. 

           This sun shield is quite remarkable. One side of the sun shield may be hot As Hell but on the other side, it will be so cold. It is like, you could bake pancakes on one side and the other side will have the ability to freeze water. 

             The sun shield is 20 m long and 7 m wide. This Space Telescope will be stationed at the sun-synchronous Orbit. That is about 1.5 million kilometers from the Earth. 

             This is about four times the distance between Earth and the Moon. So there won't be any service missions like we did with Hubble.

What is it capable of?
Here's how the James Webb Space Telescope will lead to the discovery of aliens
James Webb space telescope in NASA



            NASA has spent about 10 billion dollars on the James Webb Space Telescope. This telescope is capable of creating a 3D model of our solar system. 

            There are 5 important scientific instruments onboard this telescope. They are

  1.  Near-Infrared Camera - used to take amazing infrared images
  2. Near-Infrared Spectrograph - physical and chemical properties of elements
  3. Mid-Infrared Instrument - used to capture the stars being born 
  4. NIRISSS - this instrument is used to aim at exoplanets
  5. Fine Guidance Sensor - this precisely points the telescope towards its target and also helps in steering the telescope           
Why it will find Aliens?

            James Webb Space Telescope uses infrared waves because these waves have a longer wavelength and can penetrate deep into space.

            Also, it can't only find planets but also find the density and atmospheric composition of the planet. For example, we could search for oxygen on exoplanets. This may lead to the discovery of extraterrestrial organisms just like we did with Venus. 

                In Venus, we found out trace amounts of phosphine in its atmosphere, which tells us that some creatures which depend on phosphine may live in its atmosphere. This will, in turn, lead to a major discovery in the field of science

Hubble vs James Webb Space Telescope
Here's how the James Webb Space Telescope will lead to the discovery of aliens
Hubble vs James Webb Space Telescope

 

Hubble Telescope

James Webb Space Telescope

Cost

1.4 billion

10 billion

Size

School bus

737 Aircraft

Spectrum

UV and Visible Light

Near-Infrared

Distance from Earth

570kms

1.5 million kms

Primary mirror size

7.8 feet

21.4 feet


            There were similar telescopes like the Spitzer Space telescope, Chandra X-Ray Observatory, etc...

Take a look at the images by Hubble Space Telescope, here

Take a look at the images by Spitzer Space Telescope, here

Take a look at the images by Chandra X-Ray Observatory, here

Click here to check out astronomy events in July
Conclusion

            This telescope will help us understand deep about the universe. It will unlock challenges in finding chemical components of building blocks of life on other exoplanets.

                 With the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope, it will create a new age of exploration and knowledge. Do you think this telescope will find aliens? Tell us in the comments 

Post a Comment

0 Comments