GS Paper 3
Syllabus: Space Technology
Source: Indian Express
Context: It was launched one year ago on a mission to observe the universe in wavelengths no human eye can see. With a primary mirror 21 feet wide, the Webb is seven times as powerful as the Hubble Space Telescope, its predecessor.
About James Webb Telescope:
- James Webb Telescope is an international collaboration between NASA, European Space Agency (ESA), and the Canadian Space Agency.
- The telescope uses infrared light, which cannot be perceived by the human eye, to study every phase in cosmic history.
Mission objectives:
- It will help in a broad range of investigations across the fields of astronomy and cosmology.
- It will help to understand the origins of the universe, the evolution of our own Solar System, and search for signs of life on faraway planets.
- It can also analyze the atmospheres of exoplanets that pass in front of their stars.
- It will look at a large number of things in the universe including icy moons, distant exoplanets and galaxy clusters.
For a Comparison between James Webb and Hubble telescopes, please click here
Parts of JWST (source: NASA):
Insta Links:
Mains Link:
Q. Compare and contrast James Webb Telescope with that of the Hubble Telescope. What insights can James Webb Telescope offer about our past?
