The mass of the James Webb Space Telescope is 6.5 tons, about half that of the Hubble Space Telescope (11 tons).The main reflector is made of gold platedberylliumThe mirror is made with a diameter of 6.5 meters and an area of more than 5 times that of the Hubble Space Telescope.The space telescope can alsoNear infraredThe band works and can be approachedAbsolute zero(equivalent to minus 273.15 ℃).[15]
The James Webb Space Telescope was launched on December 25, 2021[1]；January 24, 2022Successfully enter the second place around the Sun Earth systemLagrange pointRunning track of[56]。In mid July 2022, the Webb Space Telescope officially began to work, taking the first batch of photos for scientific research.[36]local timeOn July 8, NASA released the first list of objects photographed by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), including galaxies, nebulae and extrasolar giant planets.[38]
On July 20, 2022, according to AFP, the James Webb Space Telescope may have discovered the oldest known galaxy in the universe, which has existed for 13.5 billion years.[47]On August 1, the media reported that the telescope found a strange distant galaxy with almost no heavy elements.[50]
On September 1, 2022, NASA said that the James Webb Space Telescope took the direct image of an exoplanet for the first time. The exoplanet named HIP 65426b is an uninhabitable planetgas giant Its mass is 6~12 times that of Jupiter, and its age is between 1500~200 million years, much younger than Earth.[57]
On May 8, 2024, NASA: Webb telescope found that an extrasolar rocky planet may have an atmosphere.[121]
April 1990 United StatesSpace Shuttle Discovery takeHubble Space TelescopeThe launch into low Earth orbit opened a new chapter in astronomy.Astronomy is different from other sciences. It is not experimental. Its development mainly depends on the performance of telescopes and their instruments.At the end of the 19th century, the diameter of the largest (refracting) telescope's primary mirror (the same below) was 1 meter.More than 20 years later, Edwin Hubble discovered extragalactic objects and the expansion of the universe, using a reflection telescope with the largest aperture of 2.5 meters in the world at that time.
At the end of the 20th century, the largest ground-based optical telescope in the world was 10 meters, representing a functional progress of one or two orders of magnitude on a century scale.Since the 1960s, the success of many scientific satellites has paved the way for the design and construction of the Hubble telescope.With a medium-sized mirror (2.4m), the Hubble Telescope can observe darker and farther than the ground-based large telescope, fully demonstrating the advantages of the space telescope with high definition and low background. Long before the launch of the Hubble Telescope, the Space Telescope Science Institute,Riccardo Giacconi, director of STSCI, put the development of the next generation telescope on the agenda.Because he knew that it would take at least 15 years to build a large space project.The earliest prototype of the next generation space telescope is the 8~16m diameter ultraviolet optical infrared telescope.Due to the limitation of cost and technology, the design has gradually shifted to 6-8m infrared telescopes. Such telescopes will be about 100 times more sensitive than the Hubble Telescope, and more sensitive than the 0.85mSpitzer Space Telescope Spitzer Space Telescope is thousands of times more sensitive.[106]
Development process
James Webb Space Telescope Mission Logo[111]
Since 1996, NASA has invited bids from the whole country to look for new space telescope plans with extreme precision.The four bidding agencies are NASA/Goddard Space Center, TRW, Lockheed Martin and Ball Aerospace.Finally, TRW was approved for development after strict screening.
As one of the most complex projects in the history of NASA, the James Webb Space Telescope has huge risks. Unlike the "Hubble Space Telescope", the "James Webb" cannot send astronauts for maintenance because it is too far away from the earth, so its design and manufacturing must be perfect, or it will fail!In the future system integration test, unknown problems may also be found. Once the test encounters difficulties, the launch will be delayed.If Webb telescope can successfully enter orbit for service, it can demonstrate its strong observation ability.[8]
Schematic diagram of optical path of Webb space telescope[108]
The James Webb Space Telescope project was launched in 1996, initially called the "Next Generation Space Telescope (NGST)", and was renamed in 2002 to commemorate the key leadership role played by James Webb, the second director of NASA, in the Apollo program.
The name "James Webb" is taken from the second director of NASA, James Webb - when Webb was the leader of NASA, America's space industry opened a new chapter, including the exploration of the moon and the Apollo moon landing program.Therefore, as soon as "James Webb" was born, people's high hopes were placed on it.Compared with "Hubble", "James Webb" is larger and more precise, and can survey farther into space!Its aperture is three times that of the Hubble Space Telescope, but its mass is only about half that of Hubble.It is a telescope without a lens.
The James Webb Space Telescope is a NASAEuropean Space AgencyA joint project with the Canadian Space AgencyHubble Space TelescopeIts successor will become the next generation space observatory.It will be the most powerful space telescope ever built, providing images of the first galaxy formed in the universe, and exploring the planets around distant stars.[2][105]
James Webb Space Telescope
system composition
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Mirror system
Primary mirror
The mirror system of the James Webb Space Telescope includesPrimary mirror、Secondary mirrorandThree mirrors。Although the relatively small secondary mirror and the three mirror are also very special, the expensive primary mirror is the most complex in structure, which is made up of many sub mirrors.
The mirror system and precision deflection mirror (FSM) were developed by Ball Aerospace Technology, the main contractor of "Optical Technology and Lightweight Mirror System" of Northrop Grumman.The main mirror of Webb is 6.5 meters in diameter.
The diameter of the primary mirror is larger than the rocket used to launch it.The main mirror is divided into 18 hexagonal gold-plated piecesberylliumThe lens will be unfolded under the control of high-precision micro motor and wave surface sensor after launch.However, this method will notKeck telescopeSimilarly, it is not necessary to constantly adjust the mirror segment according to active optics according to the influence of gravity load and wind force, as is the case with ground-based telescopes, so the James Webb space telescope will not change much except for its initial configuration.[106]
The mirror surface of the main mirror, as a whole, also forms a hexagon, and the condenser and mirror surface are exposed, which is easy to associate withradio telescopeThe antenna of.In addition, its main body is not in the shape of a cylinder, but unfolds a seat shaped light shield under the main mirror.[106]
Beryllium mirror substrate enables all sub mirrors to be spliced into a mirror in the traditional sense.The thickness of the substrate is about 5cm, the "front" reflector is highly polished, and the "back" surface is precisely machined into an "egg rack" structure that is lighter than the solid structure.
ReflectorSurface roughnessLess than 20 nm, a layer of pure gold film plated on it is also to improve its ability to reflect infrared light.Beryllium material is selected because of its extremely high rigidity and lightweight characteristics, which is not easy to deform under the extremely cold operating temperature of Webb.[109]
Beryllium dowel
The other side of the beryllium substrate is mounted on a triangular, egg rack type beryllium force transmission component.Each force transmission part is about 60cm long and 30cm wide, which can be used to share the load from the bottom structure to reduce the mirror distortion.
Beryllium tripod
Beryllium triangular frame (BDF) is the main intermediate structure of 18 sub mirrors. The triangular frame is about 76.2 cm wide and is connected between the actuator and the mirror, substrate or force transmission parts.
Actuator
The actuator is a fine structure composed of precision motor and gear, which is used to move and adjust the surface shape of the reflector.The actuator can make 18 sub mirrors accurately arranged to focus and image an object in the universe like a whole mirror.
Sub mirror
The main mirror of the James Webb Space Telescope is composed of 18 sub mirrors, each of which contains 6 actuators for moving and rotating. All sub mirrors can be arranged into a huge whole mirror with actuators.In addition, each sub mirror is equipped with a special actuator. One side is directly connected to the back center of the mirror, and the other side is connected to the edge of the mirror through a long and thin beryllium structure.Each actuator can make 18 sub mirrors have exactly the same "curvature center" to ensure their focal points coincide.
These mirror actuators are one of Webb's many new inventions.They can make the mirror have the best optical performance through the tiny displacement of nanometer scale.In addition, these actuators must operate at extreme "cooling" temperatures that are only tens of degrees higher than absolute zero.
When Webb is deployed in space and cooled to the operating temperature, engineers in the ground station will send instructions to all actuators to adjust all mirrors, which takes two months.Then, once Webb starts its full operation and scientific observation, the mirror calibration will be carried out every 10 to 14 days.With this new technology, Webb will become the first space-based observatory to use active control to splice the primary mirror.[107]
Sub lens detection of telescope primary mirror[108]
Interface components
The base plate interface flexible part (BIF) interface connects the primary mirror to the telescope base plate, which supports all 18 sub mirrors of the primary mirror.The precision machined flexible parts, like delicate springs, can withstand the thermal expansion and contraction caused by the temperature change from room temperature to minus 190 degrees.
In addition to those connected to the base plate, there are many flexible parts on each sub mirror.[7]
James Webb Space Telescope Blueprint[109]
Sunshade
The sun shading device of the James Webb Space Telescope has a SPF value of 1 million, which can isolate any suspicious external heat source and ensure that the telescope can obtain a calm observation environment.NASA engineers have launched the test of the giant sunshade of the James Webb Space Telescope, and it is progressing smoothly.
The giant sunshade is very large, close to the size of a tennis court, and has a multi-layer structure. NASA carried out the test in the clean room of the Grumman Company in Northrop, California.The giant sunshade not only needs to block the sunlight behind, but also has a very accurate positioning device. All components of the telescope will be installed on the giant sunshade to minimize the impact of sunlight on observation.William Oakes, a researcher from NASA Goddard Center, believes that the giant sunshade is a five layer structure, like a giant sunshade fan, which can isolate the heat transfer from the sun.[108]
Giant sunshade of James Webb Space Telescope
Carrier rocket
The James Webb Space Telescope is based in EuropeAriane 5 carrier rocketLaunched into the air.
Ariane 5 carrier rocket isEuropean Space Agency(English: European Space Agency, or ESA for short).The rocket isAriana series carrier rocketThe fifth model of, using 5.4 meters of core diameter, laid the foundation for the realization of large capacity.The first stage of the rocket uses a newly developed high performance Vulcan hydrogen oxygen engine with a thrust of 90 tons;Two large solid boosters are bundled, with a single thrust up to 455 tons.Based on the high thrust engine, the Ariane 5 rocket takes off with only three engines. The rocket is a two-stage and half configuration, which can reduce one separation link during flight, which is conducive to improving the reliability of the rocket.[110]
Reference system Sun Earth L2 orbit, Regulation Halo orbit
Perigee altitude
374000 km
Apogee altitude
1500000km
On orbit operation cycle
6 months
Detection life
5 years (design), 10 years (target)
Emission parameters
Date of launch
October 31, 2021 [3]
Launch a rocket
Ariane 5 ECA carrier rocket
Launch site
Kuru launch site, station ELA-3
Main telescope parameters
diameter
6.5m
focal length
131.4m
Collection area
25.4 square meters
Detection wavelength
0.6 micron wavelength (orange) to 28.3 micron wavelength (mid infrared)
Transponder parameters
band
S-band (TT&C support), Ka band (data acquisition)
S-band bandwidth
16K bits/second
S-band downlink
40K bits/second
Ka band downlink
Up to 28M bits/second[111]
Mission load
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Mission objectives
The main task of the James Webb Space Telescope is to investigateBig Bang TheoryResidual infrared evidence（Cosmic microwave background radiation）That is, to observe the initial state of the visible universe.For this purpose, it is equipped with high sensitivityInfrared sensor, spectrometer, etc.In order to facilitate observation, the body should be able to withstand the extreme low temperature and avoid the light of the sun and the earth.To this end, the James Webb Space Telescope is equipped with a foldable light shield to shield the light source that will become interference.Because it is inLagrange pointThe earth and the sun are always in the same relative position in the telescope's field of view, and the sunshade can really work without frequent position correction.
The mission objectives of Weber Space Telescope mainly include four aspects: searching for the first batch of galaxies born in the universe;To study the stages of galaxy evolution;Observe the formation of stars and planetary systems;Determine the physical and chemical properties of planetary systems, including those of the solar system, and study the possibility of life in other planetary systems.[67]
The James Webb Telescope is mainly composed of four detection instruments, namely, near-infrared camera, near-infrared spectrometer, mid infrared equipment, near-infrared imager and seamless spectrometer.[23]They are near-infrared camera NIRCam, near-infrared spectrometer NIRSpec, near-infrared imaging and seamless spectrometer NIRISS, and mid infrared instrument MIRI.They all have imaging and spectral functions below 2.5 meters wavelength.
NIRCam, a near-infrared camera, can provide a spatial resolution of about 60 milliseconds, which is superior to the Hubble telescope.
NIRSpec, a near-infrared spectrometer, can provide spectral resolution of about 2700. It uses a series of micro shutters, which greatly reduces the sky background and can observe multiple targets at the same time.In order to prevent the loss of some functions of some instruments during long-term operation, the functions of near-infrared instruments are redundant in design, which improves the overall reliability of the telescope.
Medium infrared instrument MIRI needs an additional cooling pump, but other instruments can work without it, which is similar toSpitzer Space Telescope After the coolant is exhausted, the "warm mission" phase can be entered. The temperature of Spitzer telescope is kept at about 27K. Two short wave channels of one instrument IRAC have worked for more than 10 years after the coolant is exhausted.[106]
James Webb Space Telescope Detector
Flight dynamics
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Lift off delay
According to the original plan, the James Webb Space Telescope was supposed to be launched in 2007, with an initial budget of 500 million dollars, but it has been postponed due to budget and other issues.
In 1998, the budget was expanded to $1 billion and the launch plan was postponed to 2008.
In 2000, the budget was expanded to $1.8 billion, and the launch was postponed to 2009.
In 2002, the budget was expanded to $2.5 billion, and the launch was postponed to 2010.
In 2003, the launch was postponed to 2011.
In 2005, the budget was expanded to US $3 billion, and the launch was postponed to 2013.
In 2006, the budget was expanded to $4.5 billion, and the launch was postponed to 2014.
In 2008, the budget was expanded to $5.1 billion.
In 2010, the budget was expanded to US $6.5 billion, and the launch was further postponed to 2015.
In 2011, the budget was expanded to US $8.7 billion, and the launch was postponed to 2018.
In 2013, the budget was expanded to US $8.8 billion.
In 2017, the launch was postponed to 2019.
In September 2017, NASA said that the launch window of the James Webb Space Telescope would be postponed from October 2018 to March June 2019.[3]The statement explained that the size and complexity of the James Webb Space Telescope and its sunshade exceeded that of most detectors. For example, more than 100 sunshade release devices would be installed only, and the vibration test would take a longer time. Therefore, the launch from the Kuru Aerospace Center in French Guiana with the European Ariane 5 rocket was postponed to the spring of 2019.
In 2018, the launch was postponed to 2020.
On March 28, 2018,NASAIt is announced again that Webb will not launch before 2020.[4]On May 6, the latest launch date of JWST was postponed to 2020 due to a series of technical problems.[5]On June 29, according to foreign media reports,hubble space telescope The James Webb Space Telescope, its successor, will be delayed to launch as early as March 30, 2021.[6]
In 2019, due toCOVID-19 epidemicThe launch was postponed to 2021, and the budget was added to 9.7 billion US dollars.
On October 12, 2021, the James Webb Space Telescope successfully arrived in French Guyana in South America and was originally scheduled to launch on the European Space Agency Ariane 5 rocket on December 18.[9]On November 22, NASA again announced that the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope had been postponed from December 18 to 22.[10-11]In December, the launch of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope was again postponed.The latest plan is to lift off from French Guiana on December 24, 2021, two days later than the original plan.[12]According to the statement of Webb's team, there is still a communication problem between the observatory and the launch vehicle system, which is the main reason for the delay of the launch.The most recent extension was announced three weeks ago when NASA reported a clamping problem with the launch vehicle adapter.[12]As of December 18, the James Webb Space Telescope had recently completed the packaging work and was only waiting for the official launch window.According to the latest news from NASA and ESA, it has been launched on Christmas Eve at 7:20 on December 24 (Beijing time: 20:20 on December 24).It will be transferred to the launch site on December 21 as planned.After the James Webb Space Telescope arrives at the observation position, researchers will spend another five months to carry out various inspections on it. It is expected that the telescope will be officially "on duty" by the end of June 2022.[13]
NASAAnd Ariana Space Corporation successfully completed the launch readiness review of the James Webb Space Telescope on December 21.The team authorized Ariane 5 rocket to carry the James Webb space telescope and start the launch mission, but the execution was suspended due to weather reasons.On December 22, 2021 local time, NASA said that due to the bad weather conditions at the European Space Port in French Guiana, flight VA256, which was originally scheduled to launch the James Webb Space Telescope on December 24, was postponed, and the new launch date was December 25[14][16]。James Webb Space TelescopeFrom research and development in 1996 to launch on December 25, 2021 (25 years)[29], has been unable to lift off for various reasons, and is known as the "King of Pigeons".
On December 25, 2021, the target launch time will be as early as possible in the following periods: between 7:20 a.m. and 52 a.m. (Washington time);9:20 a.m. to 52 a.m. (Kuru time);Between 12:20 p.m. and 52 p.m. (World Standard Time);Between 1:20 p.m. and 52 p.m. (Paris time);Between 9:20 p.m. and 52 p.m. (Tokyo time).[16]
At 13:15 local time on December 25, 2021 (20:15 Beijing time on December 25, 2021), NASA's James Webb Space Telescope was successfully launched from the Kuru base in French Guiana.This launch used Ariane 5 rocket, which has entered the final orbit.The James Webb Space Telescope will enter the solar orbit within a month, about 1 million kilometers away from the Earth.[17-20][22]
At about 10:15 a.m. EST on January 8, 2022, NASA mission managers issued the order to deploy the telescope.At about 10:30, the space telescope panel was unfolded.The staff is fixing the panel of the telescope. It is expected that the program will end at about 13:30 EST (2:30 am Beijing time on January 9).After the program is completed, the James Webb Space Telescope will be officially deployed in space.[25]Around zero o'clock on January 9, Beijing time, the James Webb Space Telescope, the most expensive and powerful infrared space telescope ever built by humans, successfully unfolded the last part of the main mirror and completed the locking.Next, the James Webb Space Telescope will continue to fly to the Lagrange L2 halo working orbit with a period of about 6 months;Then, the first picture can be taken only after several tests, such as mirror calibration and instrument commissioning, have been carried out for about 5 months.[26]
On January 24, 2022 local time, NASA said that the James Webb Space Telescope had reached its destination, the "space parking lot" 1 million miles from the Earth.[27]
In February 2022, NASA released the first photo taken by the James Webb Space Telescope, which was used to calibrate the $10 billion observatory.[31][67]
The whole process diagram of Webb space telescope in orbit deployment[108]
Instrument calibration
On January 4, 2022, the huge sunshade of the James Webb Space Telescope in the United States was launched, providing necessary guarantee for future telescope observation.[24]
On January 30, 2022, it was reported that the James Webb Space Telescope had successfully reached its intended orbit and began to work normally.The sun visor and main mirror of James Webb Space Telescope have been opened;Three months of lens calibration is under way, including several lenses including the main reflector.[28]
On April 3, 2022, the sixth stage of the alignment of the mirrors and scientific instruments of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has ended, so that they can create the most accurate and integratedImage in.The James Webb Space Telescope completed the first multi instrument calibration: while the MIDI instrument continued to cool, it successfully aligned other airborne instruments of the observatory with Webb's splitter.[33]
On May 2, 2022, IT House reported that NASA's James Webb Space Telescope had completed its calibration on April 28. After a comprehensive review, the four scientific instruments of the Webb Space Telescope could capture sharp and well focused images.[35]
Take action
Inherit the Hubble Space Telescope
On December 25, 2021, the long-awaited James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) finally headed for the universe after 14 years of "pigeoning" all mankind.The Hubble Space Telescope is a household name, because it is the first sight that human beings look into the deep universe, and it shows the unprecedented universe picture to all mankind.As the saying goes, "The veteran will never die, and the legacy will be handed down", NASA has always cultivated the James Webb Space Telescope as the successor of the Hubble Space Telescope, and regarded it as the most powerful space telescope in human history.[21]
James Webb Space Telescope
First images
On February 12, 2022, NASA announced the first images taken by the James James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) on Friday local time, representing the early calibration capability of the telescope's 18 main mirrors.The 18 light spots in the image represent the same star called HD 84406, which is seen by different main mirrors.The light collected from each primary mirror part is reflected back to the secondary mirror of JWST, and then measured with the key imaging device of the telescope, the Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam).[30]
At the press conference held on March 16, 2022, Marshall Perrin, a JWST scientist and a member of the American Space Telescope Science Institute, said that this is the highest resolution infrared image ever taken from space.
The image shows a bright star named 2MASS J17554042+6551277.If the calibration is not accurate enough, there may be multiple copies of the star in the image.But this image shows that all mirrors work together to capture a single image of a star surrounded by distant galaxies.[32]
local timeOn July 8, NASA released the first list of objects photographed by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), including galaxies, nebulae and extrasolar giant planets.[38]
On July 11, 2022, US President Biden released the first picture taken by Webb Space Telescope: galaxy cluster SMACS 0723.It contains thousands of galaxies, 4.6 billion light years from the Earth, and is the deepest image of the universe ever taken.[42]
On July 12, 2022 local time, NASA held a press conference to display the first full-color photo taken by the James Webb Space Telescope.[39-40]Subsequently, the first batch of high-resolution full-color photos were successively released.[39][41][43]
On July 12, 2022 local time, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) released the first full set of full-color deep space images taken by Webb Space Telescope.[44]
On August 2, 2022, NASA and the European Space Agency said that the James Webb Space Telescope took a new image of the Wheel Galaxy through time and a large amount of dust, revealing the rotating color circle with unprecedented clarity.The Wheel Galaxy is located in the Yufu Galaxy, about 500 million light years away from the Earth. It was formed after the spectacular frontal collision between two galaxies.[48]
In August 2022, James Webb recently captured an image of the Wheel Galaxy, another galaxy formed by the massive collision of two galaxies.This latest image capturing IC 1623 and VV 114 is particularly striking - not only does the image of two galaxies smashing together look like sparks, but also there is no evidence of black holes.[49]
On August 22, 2022 local time, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) published two images of Jupiter taken by Webb Space Telescope on its website.These images are composite images taken by the Webb telescope's near infrared camera (NIRCam), which is equipped with a special filter to observe different details of Jupiter.[51]
On August 25, 2022, NASA said that the James Webb Space Telescope found clear evidence of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of exoplanets for the first time.[53]
On August 30, 2022 local time, CNN reported that the Hubble Telescope and James Webb Telescope jointly developed by NASA and the European Space Agency recently captured a new image of the Mirage Galaxy, officially named M74, located in Pisces, 32 million light years away from the Earth.[54]
James Webb Space Telescope
Follow up shooting
On September 2, 2022 (Thursday local time), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) released the photo of exoplanet HIP 65426b taken by James Webb Space Telescope, which is the first time that Webb Space Telescope directly captured the image of exoplanet[55]This time Webb Space Telescope captured more details of the planet[56]。
In September 2022,NASA announced that the James Webb Space Telescope has captured a magnificent image of the Tarantula Nebula (Doradus 30). In this picture of the Tarantula Nebula, there is also a perfectly shaped "Einstein ring", which refers to a phenomenon that the light emitted by the light source is affected by the gravitational lens effect, which changes the shape of the observed light source into a ring shape).[58]
On September 19, 2022, it was reported that the James Webb Space Telescope released its first infrared image of Mars, capturing the atmospheric data of the entire planet, which will help astronomers identify phenomena and gases that could not be identified by previous instruments, and better understand the atmosphere of Mars.[59]Researchers said that one of the advantages of using Webb telescope is that it can simultaneously image the surface of the entire planet with high resolution in a short exposure time, so that events occurring in a short time can be studied, such as sandstorms, weather patterns and seasonal changes.[60]
On September 21 local time, NASA released the image of Neptune's halo captured by Webb Space Telescope, which is the most clearly seen image in more than 30 years.[61]
On September 29, 2022, the James Webb Space Telescope of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) recently took a new picture, capturing the "unprecedented" spiral galaxy IC 5332Some details ".[63]
Pillars of Creation[68]
On October 19, 2022 local time, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced that the James Webb Space Telescope had captured a detailed image of the cylindrical interstellar gas and dust scene of the "pillars of creation".[64]The "Pillars of Creation", located in the Eagle Nebula about 6500 light-years away from the Earth, was captured by the Hubble Space Telescope in 1995. The new images released this time revealed new details of the celestial scene, which astrobiologists said was "too spectacular to describe".[65]
The latest image of the pillar of creation[68]
On October 29, 2022, NASA released the second picture of the famous celestial scene "Pillars of Creation", which was taken by the James Webb Space Telescope. It looks slightly more scary than the first picture.[68]
In December 2022, an international team of astronomers, using the James Webb Space Telescope of NASA, confirmed the most distant galaxy to date, which was formed within 325 million years after the Big Bang. The light emitted by these galaxies took 13.4 billion years to reach the Earth, which is the first time that astronomers have proved its very distant galaxy through accurate calculation.[72]
In December 2022, the James Webb Space Telescope released an image of the Pegasus spiral galaxy NGC 7469 220 million light-years away from Earth.This galaxy is dusty, but through infrared observation of Webb Space Telescope, we can observe the characteristics of dense star forming rings near its bright center.Scientists believe that observing the changes of NGC 7469 can see the details of galaxy merging.[73]
In January 2023, according to NASA, the James Webb Space Telescope discovered an exoplanet orbiting a star for the first time.This planet, officially named LHS 475b, is located in the octagonal constellation 41 light-years away from the Earth. Its size is almost the same as the Earth, and it is 99% of the Earth's diameter.In this study, the research team led by Kevin Stevenson and Jacob Lustig Yaeger of Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory confirmed the target with Webb Space Telescope after using NASA's Trans Solar Extrasolar Planetary Survey Satellite (TESS) to determine the target.The near infrared spectrometer of Webb Space Telescope clearly captured the planet with only two transit observations.[75]In the same month, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) announced that the James Webb Space Telescope had revealed amazing molecules hidden in cold clouds in the cold, dark universe.These molecules are not ordinary, but a kind of "interstellar brick" that will one day merge into the next generation of stars or planets, and may even lead to the birth of life as people know it.[76]
In February 2023, ESA recently updated its article and shared a new photo taken by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).The main character of this picture is the spiral galaxy LEDA 2046648 located in the Hercules Supercluster more than 1 billion light years away from Earth.[77]
On February 9, 2023, NASA revealed that the James Webb Space Telescope successfully broke through the limit and observed the collision picture between the DAR probe and the asteroid Dimorphos in September 2022.[79]
On February 20, 2023, the latest deep space image from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope showed a space region called "Pandora's Cluster" - Abell 2744, where a giant galaxy cluster is like a natural magnifying glass, allowing people to better observe distant galaxies in the early universe.[80]
In March 2023, NASA released the rare and short phase of Wolf Rayet 124, a dying star, which was photographed by Webb Space Telescope.[82]
In April 2023, the James Webb Space Telescope took an amazing picture of Uranus, showing in great detail the ring system of this ice giant, its brightest satellite and dynamic atmosphere.[95]
On June 30, 2023, NASA released a picture of Saturn taken by the James Webb Space Telescope, showing the symbolic ring structure of Saturn.This picture was taken by the near infrared camera of Webb Telescope on June 25.[94][96]
In July 2023, Webb telescope found three candidate dark stars.Astronomers from Colgate University and the University of Texas found evidence of the existence of dark stars based on data from the James Webb Space Telescope.[99]
In August 2023, the European Space Agency (ESA) released an official blog, showing the photos of Ring Nebula taken by the James Webb Space Telescope, showing many details in high resolution.ESA showed pictures taken with the James Webb Space Telescope's Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam) and Medium Infrared Instrument (MIRI).[101]
On April 30, 2024 local time, according to the Associated Press, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) released some of the clearest images of the Horsehead Nebula taken by Weber Space Telescope so far, which even showed the "mane" in detail.[120]
Photo taken by James Webb Space Telescope
SMACS 0723 Galaxy Cluster
Stephan's Quintet
Southern Ring Nebula
Southern Ring Nebula
WASP-96 b Atmospheric spectrum
Carina Nebula
Jupiter
New images of phantom galaxies
Exoplanet HIP 65426b
First infrared image of Mars
Neptune, its satellite and ring system
New Image of Celestial Scene "Pillars of Creation"
LEDA 2046648 spiral galaxy 1 billion light years away from Earth
From May 23 to 25, 2022, a micrometeoroid hit a main mirror of the James Webb Space Telescope, but the NASA team responsible for operating the telescope predicted that the impact would not have a significant impact on the data of the observatory.[37]
In July 2022, at least one mirror of the James Webb Space Telescope suffered irreparable damage due to the impact of space micro meteorite.[46]
In September 2022, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) said that one observation mode of MIRI carried by its James Webb Space Telescope was disabled due to component failure.At the end of August 2022, the Webb Telescope team found that one wheel of the mid infrared detector used to switch observation wavelengths "increased friction", affecting one of the four observation modes of the mid infrared detector.On September 6, the team convened personnel to form an abnormal event review committee and decided to suspend the use of this observation mode. Technicians are trying to find solutions.[62]
On June 2, 2023, it was reported that astronomers confirmed through the observation of the James Webb Space Telescope that an unusually dim distant galaxy was a typical representative of the first group of galaxies in the universe. It was the light of such a galaxy that "tore" the fog of hydrogen atoms, ending the "dark age" of the universe's infancy.[92]
In September 2023, it was reported that the data provided by the James Webb Space Telescope showed that the carbon dioxide detected on Europa came from the ocean under its cold shell, which made people more hopeful about the potential life in its ocean.[104]
James Webb Space Telescope
scientific research
Announce
edit
Space discovery
In October 2022,Spanish scientists discovered the smallest galaxy outside the local universe (the Milky Way and related galaxies) through the James Webb Space Telescope, whose mass is one thousandth of that of the Milky Way.[66]
On November 17, 2022, according to CBS, scientists recently discovered a new space telescope that was probably formed 350 million years after the Big BangGalaxy, which may become the oldest galaxy discovered by human beings in the universe.[69]
On December 8, 2022, AFP reported that after analyzing the data of the James Webb Space Telescope, the strongest space telescope in history, researchers found evidence that at least two previously unknown stars were hiding in a "star cemetery".[70]
In July 2023, an international astronomical research team announced that they had discovered a filamentary structure formed by the arrangement of 10 distant galaxies through the data observed by the James Webb Space Telescope, which had existed since 830 million years after the Big Bang[98]。
On September 12, 2023, the James Webb Space Telescope of the United States found that the atmosphere of an extrasolar planet contains methane and carbon dioxide, which provides new clues for searching for extraterrestrial life.[102]
On November 6, 2023 local time, the composite image of data from NASA Chandra X-ray Observatory and James Weber Space Telescope shows that there is a growing black hole only 470 million years after the Big Bang, which is the oldest black hole ever discovered.[112]
In November 2023, astronomers used the data from the James Weber Space Telescope (JWST) to discover a huge chain structure composed of at least 20 galaxies, which they called "cosmic vine".It is located in an area called the Extended Gross Belt between Ursa Major and Hercules. It is composed of gas and galaxy bundles.[115]
In January 2024, the international team led by researchers from Cambridge University Gazette observed a black hole that can be traced back to about 400 million years after the Big Bang using the James Webb Space Telescope in the United States, and its mass is millions of times as high as the sun.This is the oldest black hole ever discovered.[117]
Astrophysicists used the James Webb Space Telescope to discover a "dead" galaxy about 13.1 billion years ago, which is the oldest "dead" galaxy discovered so far.The relevant research report will be published by the British journal Nature on March 6, 2024.[119]
In June 2024, with the help of the James Webb Space Telescope, DenmarkUniversity of CopenhagenResearchers from other institutions have observed the scene of the birth of three ancient galaxies in the early universe.They were formed hundreds of millions of years after the Big Bang and belong to the first group of galaxies in the universe.Relevant papers were published in the American journal Science.[122]
Observing planets
On January 12, 2023, NASA's James Webb Space Telescope discovered an exoplanet for the first time.This planet, named LHS 475b, is located in the octagonal constellation 41 light-years away from the Earth. It is mainly composed of rocks and is almost the same size as the Earth.[74]
The data previously collected by NASA's extrasolar planetary survey satellite (TESS) indicates that this planet may exist.[74]
On February 7, 2023, the James Webb Space Telescope of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) observed a new asteroid, which is about the same size as the Roman Colosseum in Italy, and is also one of the smallest asteroids found in the main asteroid belt so far.[78]
In February 2023, a paper published by the British journal Nature on the 22nd reported the candidate massive galaxy clusters formed about 500 million to 700 million years after the Big Bang.The mass of these galaxies exceeded the expectations of people for the mass of early galaxies.The observation results come from the first data released by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, which provides a new understanding of early galaxy formation.[81]
In March 2023, the internationally renowned academic journal Nature published a new astronomy paper that according to the observation results of the Webb Space Telescope (JWST), no trace of the atmosphere was found on the earth sized exoplanet TRAPPIST-1bElephants.[83]Researchers at NASA Ames Research Center used the mid infrared equipment on the Webb Space Telescope to observe the thermal radiation changes when "Trappie 1b" passed behind the red dwarf star.[84]
On March 30, 2023, according to the website of the British magazine New Scientist, American scientists, using the James Webb Space Telescope, discovered the oldest known black hole, which was formed 570 million years after the Big Bang. This discovery can help people understand the origin and evolution of black holes, such cosmic "monsters"Cheng.[85]
On April 4, 2023, an international team of astronomersTwo papers published in Nature Astronomy pointed out that they had discovered four of the oldest known galaxies by James Webb Space Telescope, one of which was formed 320 million years after the Big Bang.[86]
On April 20, 2023, an international scientific research team recently reported in the American journal Science that they had discovered a special distant galaxy using the James Webb Space Telescope. It was born about 500 million years after the Big Bang. It was very small, but the internal star birth activity was extremely intense.[87]
In April 2023, Webb telescope will be usedThe composition of planet formation has been detected around hundreds of young stars in the Magellanic Cloud.[88]
In April 2023, American astronomers used the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to discover the most distant galaxy cluster in history nearly 30 billion light years away.Related papers were published in Astrophysical Journal Letters on April 24.[89]
In May 2023, astronomers will use the James Webb Space Telescope to observe extrasolar stars“Beiluo School”There are three dust rings around the star, two of which are first found.[90]
On May 15, 2023, American scientists published a paper in the scientific journal Nature to introduce the research progress on the origin of water on the earth.With the help of the James Webb Space Telescope, they observed for the first time the presence of water vapor around a rare comet in the main asteroid belt between Jupiter and Mars.[91]
In July 2023, the latest observational data from the James Webb Space Telescope revealed for the first time the starlight of the host galaxy of two fast-growing supermassive black holes (quasars) in the early days of the Big Bang.[97]
On August 3, 2023, it was reported that the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) captured a fascinating image of a distant star at the end of its life, showing the doughnut shaped luminous gas structure of the annular nebula in unprecedented detail.[100]
In September 2023, the Webb Space Telescope detected carbon dioxide on Europa's surface, but analysis shows that these carbon dioxide may originate from Europa's underground ocean.[103]
Weber Space Telescope Captures New Images of the Center of the Galaxy[114]
In November 2023, an international team of astronomers led by Spanish and American scientists, using the James Webb Space Telescope, discovered the most distant bar shaped spiral galaxy like the Milky Way, which is more than 11 billion years old. This discovery may mean that some aspects of the theory of galaxy formation and evolution need to be revised.Relevant papers were published in the latest issue of Nature.[113]
In December 2023, the European Space Agency issued a bulletin saying that an international research team had found the smallest free floating brown dwarf by far using the James Webb Space Telescope, whose mass was three to four times that of Jupiter.[116]
On January 29, 2024 local time, a new image taken by Weber Space Telescope was released, showing 19 spiral galaxies closer to the Milky Way, providing new clues for star formation, galaxy structure and evolution.[118]
On May 8, 2024, NASA announced on its official website that an international team using the James Webb Space Telescope had observed that a hot extrasolar rocky planet might have an atmosphere.[121]
James Webb Space Telescope
Honors won
Announce
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In December 2022, selectedChinese Academy of Engineering"2022 Top Ten Global Engineering Achievements" released by the journal EngineeringJust ".[71]
In June 2023, the James Webb Space Telescope Team of the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) won the 2023 World Space Award Team Award.[93]
Overall evaluation
Announce
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Observations by the James Webb Space Telescope will help researchers better understand the mass, age, history and composition of objects.[67]（CCTV News Review）
Astronomers all over the world are looking forward to the successful launch of the Webb Space Telescope.With its design performance far above the Hubble Space Telescope, it will become a powerful tool for exploring the universe in the next ten years, revealing more, more profound and more subtle mysteries of the universe for mankind.[34]（Comments of the National Commission for the Examination and Approval of Science and Technology Terms）
The James Webb Space Telescope is one of the most complex scientific equipment ever built. Although it has been successfully launched and deployed, it is only the first step to its success.Professor Garth Illingworth of the University of California is the elder of Webb Telescope. He has worked for it for more than 30 years since the initial idea of the project.He said.During the construction of the telescope, the possibility of dismounting failure was repeatedly encountered.But if the project finally becomes easy, it shows that our initial ambition is not big enough.The Webb telescope will open a new chapter in human understanding of the universe, and people expect it to play an irreplaceable role in the research of a wide range of galaxies from near to the Earth's neighbors to the first generation in the universe.Indeed, just like the achievements of the Hubble telescope, the most valuable discoveries and breakthroughs in science may be unpredictable, and people will wait and see.[106]（Comments on Science Bulletin）
