You might be tempted to think of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) as just another hyped-up space mission. Resist that temptation. The JWST is the most ambitious space telescope ever launched.
It’s also the biggest gamble.
The JWST – or Webb, as NASA would like it to be known – is designed to reveal the evolution of the Universe, from its early phases to the modern era. It will do this by undertaking a thorough investigation of the Universe at infrared wavelengths.
To reveal the evolution of the Universe, Webb will target the origin of the various celestial objects that have emerged along the way. This begins in the distant, early Universe. Webb’s cameras and instruments will focus on the first galaxies and the first stars to light up the Universe.
Today, the evidence suggests that there’s probably a supermassive black hole at the centre of every galaxy. Yet how those black holes form is a mystery. Were they the gravitational seeds that catalysed galaxy formation, or did they form naturally at the centre of a gigantic gas cloud that was already coalescing to become a galaxy. Webb will investigate.
As for the first stars, no one knows what these were like, but theory suggests that they could be gigantic megastars, burning more brightly and hotter than anything in the Universe today. Webb will search for them.
It will also scrutinise the birth of stars and planets in the more recent Universe by peering inside the dusty nebulae that cocoon these nascent celestial objects.
Denne historien er fra New Year 2022-utgaven av BBC Science Focus.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra New Year 2022-utgaven av BBC Science Focus.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
CHANGE THE (BODY) CLOCKS
Why the end of British Summer Time can be a wake-up call for our circadian health
ARE OCTOPUSES SENTIENT?
If you've watched the Netflix documentary My Octopus Teacher or been lucky enough to encounter an octopus in the wild, you'll know there's something special about them.
THE MEXICAN MOLE LIZARD
Imagine what would happen if an earthworm, a lizard, a snake and a mole went on a night out, had too much too much tequila and let their guard down.
Do we finally know how the Egyptian Pyramids were built?
A number of breakthrough studies are beginning to paint a picture of how these wonders of the world were built, but much of the story still remains a mystery...
ECLIPSES ON DEMAND
Inside an unassuming building, behind a damp car park in Antwerp, Belgium, scientists are teaching two spacecraft to be dance partners for a performance that will take place in front of the Sun.
How light's 'secret code' reveals the story of the cosmos
The starlight we can see tells us alot about the Universe, but it's the parts we can't see that contain the biggest revelations
An artificial heart inspired by plumbing
Mechanical circulation could revolutionise transplant design and reduce waiting lists
Major Stonehenge discovery deepens mystery around ancient monument
New findings suggest a key six-tonne stone came from over 450 miles north of the circle
THE UNEXPECTED RETURN OF PNEUMATIC TUBES
Once a pioneering technology that revolutionised deliveries, pneumatic tubes had all but disappeared. Now they're back and enjoying a resurgence
LIVING FOSSILS
FOR SOME CREATURES ALIVE TODAY TIME HAS ALMOST STOOD STILL. MEET THE 'LIVING FOSSILS' THAT GIVE US A GLIMPSE INTO LIFE IN THE DISTANT PAST
