Here's how the James Webb Space Telescope will lead to the discovery of aliens
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?
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
- Near-Infrared Camera - used to take amazing infrared images
- Near-Infrared Spectrograph - physical and chemical properties of elements
- Mid-Infrared Instrument - used to capture the stars being born
- NIRISSS - this instrument is used to aim at exoplanets
- 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
|
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
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