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If you wake up early enough on Saturday, you’ll be greeted by a science and engineering demonstration: the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope into orbit.
The telescope, a joint project of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Canadian space agency, will be the most powerful observatory ever sent into space. Astronomers waited for decades as budgetary and technical delays prevented Webb from completing and launching.
But on Christmas morning, they and the rest of humanity will be one step closer to witnessing the spacecraft begin its scientific mission. Here’s what you need to know.
When and how can I watch the launch?
The telescope is scheduled to take off from a European-run spaceport in French Guiana on the South American coast at 7:20 am Eastern time on Saturday. The launch window lasts 32 minutes until 07:52 in case of last-minute rocket checks or short pauses in the countdown. A longer delay means the launch will be delayed to the same time on Sunday.
NASA, the primary backer of the telescope, hosting a live broadcast on YouTube channel and homepage starting at 6 am excitement and Facebook Accounts starting at the same time. Agency officials will comment with astronomers until launch. also register for a virtual launch event.
If you choose to watch the launch in French or Spanish, the European Space Agency it also broadcasts the departure in these languages.
Why is the Webb telescope so important to scientists?
The Webb telescope was designed by astronomers to investigate a crucial part of early cosmic history known as the dark ages.
Cosmologists estimate that the first stars appeared when the universe was only about 100 million years old. (13.8 billion years old today.) The most distant and oldest galaxy seen by astronomers using the Hubble Space Telescope has been dated to when the universe was older, 400 million years after the Big Bang. In the 300 million years that have passed, it is a mystery what happened while the universe was flying brightly, and how the Big Bang turned into a sky full of constellations and life.
The telescope will also help astronomers better study supermassive black holes at the center of galaxies and planets orbiting other stars in our galaxy.
To obtain these scientific observations, the Webb telescope relies on a primary mirror with a diameter of 6.5 meters, compared to the 2.4-meter mirror on Hubble. This gives it about seven times more light-gathering ability and therefore the ability to see into the past.
Another important difference is that it is equipped with cameras and other instruments that are sensitive to infrared or “heat” radiation. The expansion of the universe causes light that is normally in visible wavelengths to shift to longer infrared wavelengths that are normally invisible to the human eye.
Engineers had to invent 10 new technologies along the way to make the telescope more sensitive than Hubble. Overly optimistic schedule forecasts, occasional development crashes, and erratic cost reporting pushed the timeline into 2021, bringing the total cost to $10 billion.
Why is the telescope launched from French Guiana?
No European Space Agency An orbital launch site in any member country of the European landmass. Instead, it’s usually launched from a spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana.
Using the Kourou launch site is part of the consortium’s €300m contribution to the Webb mission. NASA signed an agreement with ESA in 2003 to launch Webb on an Ariane 5 rocket from Arianespace, a French rocket manufacturer.
Turn your phone into a personal planetarium.
To understand the observing powers of the James Webb Space Telescope and how it can help astronomers in their research, try these two augmented reality experiences in your space with an Instagram-logging smartphone.
The first will show you where to look in space and time with a 3D map of Webb’s observable universe. It plots some of the spacecraft’s early targets, including potentially Earth-like exoplanets and the earliest known galaxies. Try here on Instagram.
The second augmented reality experience shows how Webb gets a visual boost from the power of gravitational lensing.
Place a virtual black hole in your field and watch how it acts like a magnifying glass around you. The same technique will help astronomers study the early universe. Try here on Instagram.
Noah Pisner contributing reporting.
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