Nasa's James Webb telescope launched into the space..............

Prarabdh Research Desk

Launching Of James Webb Space Telescope

Launch Date-22 December 2021

Dimensions: 20.197 m × 14.162 m  (66.26ft×46.46ft),   sunshield

Bandwidth: S-band up: 16 kbit/s; S-band down: 40 kbit/s; Ka-band down: up to 28 Mbit/s

Power: 2 kW

Rocket: Ariane 5 ECA (VA256)

Twenty-five years in the making, countless delays  and a massive cost overrun later,the JAMES WEBB space telescope (JWST)is finally set to begin its space journey.The event is being dubbed astronomy's 'Apollo moment'for the promise Hubble's  successor holds in transforming our knowledge of the Universe during its 10-year  work life As per the latest schedule,ESA's Ariane 5 rocket will launch the $10bn telescope, the largest and most expensive ever to be sent to space, from French Guiana today. Over the next 6 months, as it readies itself, Webb will keep mission staff  and  astronomers on tenterhooks. The first month will be particularly tense as Webb executes 26 stages of incredibly complex deployment ops involving 344 'single points of failure'

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                           WEBB  VS  HUBBLE

Comparison on the basis of following factors-

File Photo      courtesy- Nasa

1.SIZE

Webb's  primary mirror is roughly 6.5m in diameter  as opposed to Hubble's 2.4m. This means Webb's has 6.25 times higher surface area, making it nearly 100 times more sensitive.

2.Spectrum

Hubble mainly operates in the visible spectrum while Webb will mainly work in infrared (IR). IR cameras can pierce through stellar dust reveal structures that can't be seen in the visible range. Also, light from the early universe is all in the IR spectrum.

3. Orbit

Hubble is near Earth's orbit while Webb will be sent in deep space i.e 1.5 million Km from Earth, at a point known as Language 2 - far away from Earth's radiation 'pollution' and Cold enough for the scope to reach cryogenic temperatures. Unlike Hubble, there's no prospect of astronauts performing repairs on Webb.

                                      Mission: Astronomy's Big Questions/Answers

1)How did Universe appear after big Bang ?

-Webb will observe a part of space and time never seen before. It will gaze into the epoch when the very first stars and galaxies formed, over 13.5 million years ago.

2)How are stars,planets formed ?

-Stars and planet formation takes place at the centre of dense, dusty clouds. Webb's IR range capabilities will help pierce through the dust and watch stars taking place.

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Placement of Hubble and Webb Telescope