James Webb space telescope vs Hubble space telescope
James Webb Space Telescope vs Hubble Space telescope
The Hubble telescope is one of the best telescopes ever built. But the James Webb Space telescope is far more futuristic and advanced than its previous counterpart. Here are five ways where the James Webb Space Telescope is better than Hubble
It's more technologically advanced.
Now is the right time for a replacement to the Hubble Space Telescope. But replacing Hubble, which is about 28 years old, will be a difficult task. Though Hubble is still functioning fine today, there are some crucial flaws.
Among them is the failure of the space shuttle fleet to be able to launch a new replacement for Hubble before the end of the current space shuttle program, the Challenger shuttle disaster.
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| JWST Mirror Comparison |
A new successor to Hubble needs to be built for the next decade, and that is a huge and expensive project. On top of that, the Webb Space Telescope has a much larger primary mirror. For comparison, Hubble's primary mirror is 2.4 meters (nearly 7 feet), while Webb's is 6.5 meters (21 feet). If Hubble is 6 feet across, then Webb's must be at least twice as big.
It will have a much sharper view of the universe.
The James Webb Space Telescope is NASA’s top priority and will be in service for decades to come. It is designed to probe the mysteries of space and to seek out potential dangers on Earth by scanning the skies for comets and asteroids that could collide with the planet.
“This mission is truly a research laboratory for the heavens,” Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator of the Science Mission Directorate at NASA, said during the announcement of the telescope in November 2017. The ability to take infrared observations of extremely distant objects is unprecedented.
It was designed to examine possible signs of life on other planets.
It is three times the size of the Hubble Space Telescope. The telescope is 9.5 meters in diameter.
It was designed to look deep into space and to study near-infrared light. It is the first space telescope that will study black holes, planets, stars, and galaxies using infrared light.
It will be able to examine planets in their birth stages, how far they are from their stars and how warm they are. It will also examine possible signs of life on other planets.
It will help astronomers to better understand galaxies, galaxies at very early stages, objects in our universe, and dark matter.
It has the ability to detect infrared radiation.
Hubble can see visible light but cannot see infrared. Hubble can detect gases in far-flung galaxies that are as hot as a star. But with the James Webb Space Telescope, we will have the capability to look at the very center of these galaxies.
Hubble can only look at a small portion of the sky. With the James Webb Space Telescope, we will have the capability to survey an area that can go on to cover a fourth of the whole Milky Way.
Hubble is an optical telescope. The James Webb Space Telescope is an infrared telescope. This means that it looks out into space and focuses on smaller sections of the universe.
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| James Webb vs Hubble Image Comparison |
The James Webb Space Telescope will also have a set of four cameras to aid it in observation.
It won't get blocked by Earth's atmosphere.
The James Webb Space Telescope will be placed in the Sun-synchronous orbit while Hubble is stationed at Earth’s orbit. Thus, the James Webb Space Telescope will have a much wider view and won’t be blocked by the Earth’s atmosphere.
Astronauts on the International Space Station could get an eyeful of the cosmos from an unusual vantage point in January in the new James Webb Space Telescope. Instead of moving away from Earth’s light, the largest camera in space might be accessible from the space station
Here's a video on how Webb is folded into a smaller compartment
📍 California → Panama Canal → 📍 South America
— NASA Webb Telescope (@NASAWebb) October 13, 2021
The James Webb Space Telescope’s ~5,800-mile journey to get to its launch site spanned two oceans! Watch this video to see how Webb was packed into its custom “suitcase” for the 16-day trip. More: https://t.co/ZsXGDl8y51 pic.twitter.com/2ovrOOG2GX
Conclusion
The James Webb Space Telescope will be the first major space telescope of the 21st century. The Webb telescope is considered the successor of the Hubble Space Telescope, and many people are expecting its arrival.
There are several reasons why Hubble was
created in the first place. It was born out of necessity, which makes it a very
useful piece of technology. But the James Webb Space Telescope is going to be a
game-changing technology and will lead to many breakthroughs in astrophysics.
What do you think about this Telescope? Will it find Extra Terrestrials? Tell us in the comments
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