When we look up at the starry sky, all that comes to mind are the bright stars around us and the vast universe that cannot be seen. For astronomers and cosmologists, they imagine more than this - black holes, dark matter, dark energy and other mysterious substances. In order to deeply study and explore the mysteries of the universe, many astronomical telescopes have been built in human history. Today, let's talk about a new milestone: the James Weber Telescope.

What is the James Weber Telescope?

The James Webb Space Telescope, abbreviated as JWST, is currently the world's advanced space telescope and the next generation of space telescopes developed through international cooperation. The launch date is not far away: it is currently scheduled to be launched on October 31, 2021.

JWST will shoot and observe beyond the Earth's atmosphere, 1.496 million kilometers away from Earth, and will replace the Hubble Space Telescope as a new tool for exploring the mysteries of the universe. It will use advanced optical technology and scientific instruments, with extremely high sensitivity and resolution, capable of capturing more cosmic details in different wavelengths, and is expected to answer many unsolved mysteries.

What are the main goals of JWST?

The main goal of JWST is to explore the origin and evolution of the universe, observe the earliest formed matter and structure in the universe, study celestial bodies such as black holes, galaxies, planets, and search for the possibility of life.

JWST is equipped with more than 4 billion pixel infrared camera, spectrometer and other equipment, which can make more accurate star observation, obtain more in-depth cosmic images and data, and also detect dark matter and dark energy and other substances.

What are the advantages of JWST compared to the Hubble Space Telescope?

JWST is an upgraded version of the Hubble Space Telescope, and compared to Hubble, JWST has the following significant advantages:

1. Wider observation frequency range: JWST utilizes infrared science for observation, which can detect low-temperature cosmic objects that cannot be detected by the Hubble Telescope. At the same time, JWST adopts advanced mid infrared technology, which can detect farther galaxies and earlier cosmic structures.

2. Larger field of view: JWST has a larger field of view than Hubble, which means it can simultaneously observe multiple celestial bodies and regions, and obtain more detailed and comprehensive images of the universe.

3. Higher resolution: The main instruments of JWST are the infrared camera and spectrometer with more than 4 billion pixels, whose resolution is several times higher than that of Hubble, and can obtain higher definition cosmic images.

4. Higher sensitivity: The scientific instruments used by JWST have higher sensitivity and resolution, which can detect weaker signals and bring more details and data.

So what are the unique observational capabilities of JWST? How will it expand our understanding of the universe?

1. Search for the earliest galaxies and planets: JWST can observe the earliest formed celestial bodies and structures, including the earliest galaxies and planets, in order to conduct more in-depth research on the evolution process of the universe.

2. Detection of black holes and interstellar matter: JWST can detect the radiation signals of black holes, interstellar gases, and other substances in the infrared band, thereby deepening our understanding of these mysterious substances in the universe.

3. Explore the process of star formation: JWST can observe gas and dust in nebulae, understand the mechanism and evolution laws of star formation.

4. Explore the possibility of life existence: JWST can detect chemical reactive substances in the planet's atmosphere, thereby identifying whether there are signs of life such as bacteria.

What are the main scientific instruments of JWST? What is their working principle?

JWST is equipped with four main scientific instruments, namely, infrared camera (NIRCam), mid infrared spectrometer (NIRSpec), visible and ultraviolet spectrometer (MIRI) and micrometeorological station (FGS/NIRISS):

1. Infrared Camera (NIRCam): NIRCam is the main observation instrument of JWST, which uses the infrared band for observation and has extremely high spatial resolution and sensitivity. Its working method is to use infrared detectors to record the radiation emitted by celestial bodies, thereby capturing more cosmic images and data.

2. Mid infrared spectrometer (NIRSpec): NIRSpec is a high-precision spectrometer, mainly used for spectral measurement of redshifted stars and galaxies. It utilizes infrared spectroscopy technology to separate and record radiation of different wavelengths emitted by celestial bodies, thereby studying issues such as the structure and evolution of the universe.

3. Visible and Ultraviolet Spectrometer (MIRI): MIRI is a highly sensitive visible and ultraviolet spectrometer primarily used to detect infrared radiation signals from celestial bodies such as black holes, galaxies, and planets. Its working principle is to use lasers and frequency converters to generate and measure spectra of different wavelengths, thereby capturing more cosmic information.

4. Micro meteorological station (FGS/NIRISS): FGS/NIRISS is mainly used to assist JWST in navigation and attitude control. It can locate and track stars, and also improve the stability and accuracy of JWST through infrared imaging and telescope deformation control.