[Technology] * James Webb Space Telescope *

Hugo Rune · Dec 25, 2021

This bad boy launches today. 20 years in the making. I’d be surprised if this gold plated tennis court sized telescope is not the most impressive engineered object in all human history.

If it works, it’ll be able to see the first stars that appeared in this Universe. Whilst most celebrate the birth of Christ on this day, in thousands of centuries time, that particular mythology will have been put to rest but the significance of the James Webb telescope will be still be lorded.

Fingers crossed it’s gets through it’s absurdly complex and risky launch and deployment process!

vegster · Dec 25, 2021

I hope they remembered to take the lens cap off before they blasted ?

Cheshire Cat · Dec 25, 2021

Can they turn it off and turn it on again?

zeetha · Dec 25, 2021

Glad the launch went smoothly and Webb is on its way :thumbsup:

Now just have to hope that all the unfurling over the next 2 weeks goes according to plan and that it works as intended!

Taybha · Dec 25, 2021

Perfidious Albion · Dec 25, 2021

I second those hopes . I remember that the Hubble telescope was faulty at first and needed a space mission to fix it .
This sounds like an amazing piece of kit . I am not so sure about the hype that it will see into the distant past although I suppose that is theoretically possible.
Anyway I wish the James Webb well ( boring name though)

Stat Brother · Dec 25, 2021

Perfidious Albion said:
I second those hopes . I remember that the Hubble telescope was faulty at first and needed a space mission to fix it .
This sounds like an amazing piece of kit . I am not so sure about the hype that it will see into the distant past although I suppose that is theoretically possible.
Anyway I wish the James Webb well ( boring name though)

Tele McScopeFace.

vegster · Dec 25, 2021

zeetha said:
Glad the launch went smoothly and Webb is on its way [emoji106]

Now just have to hope that all the unfurling over the next 2 weeks goes according to plan and that it works as intended!

Probably find its been deployed with the wrong attitude 180 degree's off axis.... We are going to get some stunning views of Earth!

Johnny RoastBeef · Dec 25, 2021

In 2025 the ELT in Chile will come online and make the James Webb look small and weak. The ELT has a mirror 36 times the size of JWST and is being built for 90% less cost.

Between the 2 of them our astronomical knowledge is about to move forward astronomically.

1066familyman · Dec 25, 2021

Hugo Rune said:
This bad boy launches today. 20 years in the making. I’d be surprised if this gold plated tennis court sized telescope is not the most impressive engineered object in all human history.

If it works, it’ll be able to see the first stars that appeared in this Universe. Whilst most celebrate the birth of Christ on this day, in thousands of centuries time, that particular mythology will have been put to rest but the significance of the James Webb telescope will be still be lorded.

Fingers crossed it’s gets through it’s absurdly complex and risky launch and deployment process!

How do they know they were...'the first stars that appeared in this Universe' ?

I suspect it's no more than a theory, as with a lot of science, posited as fact.

Anyway. Happy Festival of Light.

Hugo Rune · Dec 25, 2021

1066familyman said:
How do they know they were...'the first stars that appeared in this Universe' ?

I suspect it's no more than a theory, as with a lot of science, posited as fact.

Anyway. Happy Festival of Light.

Think it’s to do with the ‘red shift’.

In essence, you can look at the information in any light source you capture in space and work out how old it is. If you know the age of the Universe, you can then work out if you are looking at the first stars.

Ho ho ho, Merry Christmas!

Edit:

Here is some bite-size for you - https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zg9x3k7/revision/2

1066familyman · Dec 25, 2021

Igzilla · Dec 25, 2021

Johnny RoastBeef said:
In 2025 the ELT in Chile will come online and make the James Webb look small and weak. The ELT has a mirror 36 times the size of JWST and is being built for 90% less cost.

Between the 2 of them our astronomical knowledge is about to move forward astronomically.

The difference being, of course, is that the ELT will have only limited infra-red capabilities, whereas the JWST is only, but totally IR, and can therefore see things the ELT can never hope to.

Tom Hark Preston Park · Dec 25, 2021

Cheshire Cat said:
Can they turn it off and turn it on again?

Five minute job :thumbsup:

Igzilla · Dec 25, 2021

Cheshire Cat said:
Can they turn it off and turn it on again?

Tom Hark said:
Five minute job

Maybe with a very long stick to flick the power switch?

FannieMac · Dec 25, 2021

Hugo Rune said:
Think it’s to do with the ‘red shift’.

In essence, you can look at the information in any light source you capture in space and work out how old it is. If you know the age of the Universe, you can then work out if you are looking at the first stars.

Ho ho ho, Merry Christmas!

Edit:

Here is some bite-size for you - https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zg9x3k7/revision/2

In addition to the red shift of the light, they are known as 1st generation stars which are made of Hydrogen and Helium because these were the only elements in the universe when they formed. Later generation stars contain percentages of heavier elements which were added to the universe when the first generations of stars went supernova

vegster · Dec 25, 2021

Hugo Rune said:
Think it’s to do with the ‘red shift’.

In essence, you can look at the information in any light source you capture in space and work out how old it is. If you know the age of the Universe, you can then work out if you are looking at the first stars.

Ho ho ho, Merry Christmas!

Edit:

Here is some bite-size for you - https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zg9x3k7/revision/2

Spaceball 1 went to Plaid when it went faster than light?

essbee1 · Dec 25, 2021

Igzilla said:
Maybe with a very long stick to flick the power switch?

Don't be so bloody ridiculous. Mind, if you bound three of four them
together with string, you might get close.

Wrong-Direction · Dec 25, 2021

I highly recommend Brian Cox Universe if no one has seen it

Sent from my SM-A326B using Tapatalk

Johnny RoastBeef · Dec 25, 2021

Igzilla said:
The difference being, of course, is that the ELT will have only limited infra-red capabilities, whereas the JWST is only, but totally IR, and can therefore see things the ELT can never hope to.

True, the ELT is more comparable to Hubble, much like an iPhone 13 is comparable to a Nokia 8210.

The JWST is just like adding FaceTime to the mix.

JWST and ELT combined are an unbelievably huge step forward.

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[Technology] *** James Webb Space Telescope ***

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[Technology] * James Webb Space Telescope *