A Look into the James Webb Space Telescope
The month is finally upon us – the long-awaited launch of the James Webb Space Telescope is currently scheduled for December 22. Scientists from NASA, ESA and the Canadian Space Agency are all participating with Canada providing a Near-Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph (NIRISS) and the Fine Guidance Sensor (FGS). This contribution has allowed Canada guaranteed observation time on the telescope.
What are the main goals of the mission?
The JWST will observe more of the universe than ever before. Reaching into the far corners, Webb will search for the very first stars and galaxies created after the Big Bang. Through this, ideally we will have a better understanding at how planets, stars and galaxies are born and how they evolve over time. Searching and exploring distant worlds and studying our solar system will allow researchers to determine potential for life on planets around other stars.
(source: https://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/satellites/jwst/about.asp)
How big is JWST?
Here’s an image that highlights the scale of the telescope that’s neat and captures real life size!
How does the telescope work?
JWST will use infrared light in order to study every phase of the cosmos. This light cannot be seen by the human eye and will allow the telescope to reach very far into corners of the galaxy.
We reached out to a few Canadian space professionals involved in the JWST launch to find out more about the overall mission and the roles they each play. Meet Dr. Nathalie Ouellette (N.O) and Julie Claveau (J.C.). We asked them many questions as part of our monthly social media campaign where we share the research, innovation, and journey of several Canadian Space Professionals. Check out their responses on the links below.
Tune into the live launch of James Webb Telescope on December 22! Register early.
Meet Some Canadian Space Professionals involved with the JWST Mission!
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Thanks for sharing this useful information