When the James Webb telescope launches it will result in a “mad scramble” as scientists work to utilise this unprecedented eye on the universe.
Scientists around the world are watching with nervous anticipation ahead of the long-awaited launch of a revolutionary new telescope which it’s hoped will give new insight into the origins of many parts of our universe.
However, while the Hubble telescope orbits the Earth and can be reached by manned missions for repair works, JWST is planned to set up shop much further away – 1.5 million kilometres, to be exact. NASA famously had to send emergency missions to fix Hubble soon after it launched after a tiny misalignment in its mirrors resulted in blurry, unusable images, and every effort has been made to ensure the JWST doesn’t suffer from a similar glitch.Adriana Manrique Gutierrez/NASA
Astronomers have good data on the dust clouds which form around new stars, and good working knowledge of planetary systems, but not a lot of good data on the period in between when that dust slowly clumps into larger bodies. “One of the programs I’m involved with hopes to look at the surface of asteroids, which we can do because James Webb has such high fidelity,” Dr Pope said.
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