Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Do aliens exist? The key mysteries that could be unlocked after the James Webb telescope launched

Do aliens exist? The key mysteries that could be unlocked after the James Webb telescope launched

The world's most powerful telescope is set to profoundly transform scientists' understanding of the universe and our place in it.

Scientists say a "new era of astronomy" could be brought in after the launch of the James Webb telescope.

The device is expected to profoundly transform scientists' understanding of the universe and our place in it.

NASA, which produced the $10bn infrared telescope in partnership with the European and Canadian space agencies, has hailed it as the premiere space-science observatory of the next decade.

An artist's rendering of what the telescope would look like in space.


What can the James Webb telescope do?


The instrument will give humankind its first glimpse of the infant universe as it existed when the earliest galaxies are believed to have formed.

A replacement for the Hubble telescope, Webb will be able to view the cosmos just 100 million years after the Big Bang, the theoretical flashpoint that led to the expansion of the universe 13.8 billion years ago.

By comparison, Hubble can only see back to about 400 million years following the Big Bang.

Astronomers want to use Webb to study super-massive black holes believed to occupy the centers of distant galaxies.

Cosmologists will work to map the dark matter around galaxies to reveal more about the mysterious substance thought to make up most of the universe.

The telescope's mirror consists of 18 hexagonal segments of gold-coated beryllium metal


Could the telescope find aliens?


The space observatory will also investigate whether planets outside our own solar system may be suitable for life.

Cameras on the telescope will take images of other planets to look for the presence of water and other hints of life in the atmosphere.

Professor Martin Barstow, a scientist who helped develop the device, said it could reveal the existence of extra-terrestrial life forms in space.

"We will learn about the origins of the universe and how life came about and possibly, although we can't guarantee, about other life in our galaxy as well," he said.

He described the launch as "the beginning of a new era in astronomy".

"The telescope is that important that it's going to completely change the way we view the universe and the way we view our place in it," he said.

The Hubble telescope orbiting the Earth.


How Webb works

Named after NASA's chief during most of the agency's formative decade of the 1960s, Webb is about 100 times more sensitive than Hubble.

While Hubble operated mainly at optical and ultraviolet wavelengths, Webb will be able to see the cosmos in the infrared spectrum, peering through clouds of gas and dust where stars are being born.

The new telescope's primary mirror has a much bigger light-collecting area that allows it to observe objects at greater distances.

The telescope being secured on top of the Ariane 5 rocket.


What happens after launch?


The Webb telescope will spend another month reaching its destination in solar orbit - about 1 million miles from the Earth and about four times farther away than the moon.

The Sunshield test unit for the James Webb telescope


The device's special orbital path will keep it constantly aligned with the Earth and its trajectory around the sun.

After about six months of alignment and the calibration of Webb's mirrors and instruments, the telescope's operation will be managed from the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated that Hungary will not adopt the euro because the European Union is falling apart.
Mayor in western Germany in intensive care after stabbing
Australian government pays Deloitte nearly half a million dollars for a report built on fabricated quotes, fake citations, and AI-generated nonsense.
BYD’s UK Sales Soar Nearly Nine-Fold, Making Britain Its Biggest Market Outside China
Latvia to Bar Tourist and Occasional Buses to Russia and Belarus Until 2026
Wave of Complaints Against Apple Over iPhone 17 Pro’s Scratch Sensitivity
Munich Airport Reopens After Second Drone Shutdown
Pro Europe and Anti-War Babiš Poised to Return to Power After Czech Parliamentary Vote
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sentenced to Fifty Months in Prison Following Prostitution Conviction
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Trump Says Ukraine Can Fully Restore Borders with NATO Backing
Europe Signals Stronger Support for Taiwan at Major Taipei Defence Show
Germany Weighs Excluding France from Key European Fighter Jet Programme
Cyberattack Disrupts Check-in and Boarding Systems at Major European Airports
Björn Borg Breaks Silence: Memoir Reveals Addiction, Shame and Cancer Battle
When Extremism Hijacks Idealism: How the Baader-Meinhof Gang Emerged and Fell
JWST Data Brings TRAPPIST-1e Closer to Earth-Like Habitability
Trump Orders $100,000 Fee on H-1B Visas and Launches ‘Gold Card’ Immigration Pathway
France’s Looming Budget Crisis and Political Fracture Raise Fears of Becoming Europe’s “Sick Man”
Three Russian MiG-31 Jets Breach Estonian Airspace in ‘Unprecedentedly Brazen’ NATO Incident
European manufacturers against ban on polluting cars: "The industry may collapse"
Turkish car manufacturer Togg Enters German Market with 5-Star Electric Sedan and SUV to Challenge European EV Brands
Christian Brueckner Released from German Prison after Serving Unrelated Sentence
World’s Longest Direct Flight China Eastern to Launch 29-Hour Shanghai–Buenos Aires Direct Flight via Auckland in December
New OpenAI Study Finds Majority of ChatGPT Use Is Personal, Not Professional
The conservative right spreads westward: a huge achievement for 'Alternative for Germany' in local elections
Pope Leo Warns of Societal Crisis Over Mega-CEO Pay, Citing Tesla’s Proposed Trillion-Dollar Package
Poland Green-Lights NATO Deployment in Response to Major Russian Drone Incursion
U.S. and China Agree on Framework to Shift TikTok to American Ownership
Le Pen Tightens the Pressure on Macron as France Edges Toward Political Breakdown
Czech Republic signs €1.34 billion contract for Leopard 2A8 main battle tanks with delivery from 2028
Penske Media Sues Google Over “AI Overviews,” Claiming It Uses Journalism Without Consent and Destroys Traffic
Indian Student Engineers Propose “Project REBIRTH” to Protect Aircraft from Crashes Using AI, Airbags and Smart Materials
One in Three Europeans Now Uses TikTok, According to the Chinese Tech Giant
Could AI Nursing Robots Help Healthcare Staffing Shortages?
NATO Deploys ‘Eastern Sentry’ After Russian Drones Violate Polish Airspace
The New Life of Novak Djokovic
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
×