March 29, 2024

TechNewsInsight

Technology/Tech News – Get all the latest news on Technology, Gadgets with reviews, prices, features, highlights and specificatio

Why is it a revolution for space observation

Nicholas Pinault, Editing by Soline Dillinger
, modified in

7:07 PM, December 25, 2021

Countdown. An Ariane 5 rocket, which is scheduled to propel the James Webb Space Telescope into space on Saturday, was waiting on the launch pad for the final countdown to begin Friday. The European launch pad started at 1:20pm on Saturday. How will this gem of technology revolutionize space observation?

deviation

It’s finally time for flight for the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). It took off on Saturday to reach its observation post, 1.5 million kilometers from Earth. At midday, astronomers’ eyes will turn to Guyana and the Kourou Space Center, in order to watch the launch of the Ariane 5 rocket. It is she who should propel this space telescope, the largest ever built. It is 100 times more powerful than Hubble and capable of capturing 70% more light.

This gem of technology, the size of a tennis court, will have to track down the first galaxies in the universe. And why not discover planets outside our solar system thanks to its main mirror, which is more than six meters in diameter.

First pictures in five to six months

The Webb Telescope will position itself at a distance of one and a half million kilometers from our planet and will place itself in orbit around the Sun, but with its back to it thanks to its solar shield. This will keep the temperature below minus 235 degrees. This is important for analyzing light in the infrared, because infrared is very sensitive to heat.

See also  Hyundai electric cars must stabilize the power grid - ecomento.de

Unlike Hubble, James Webb takes advantage of current exploration capabilities, because it is able to pick up a wavelength that escapes the eye: mid-infrared. After a tuning phase that will take several weeks, the Webb telescope should be able to transmit its first images within five to six months.