James Webb telescope - a whole new show is coming to town

Posted by Techie

James Webb telescope - a whole new show is coming to town
September 11, 2016

Registered: 16 years ago
Posts: 3,454

NASA is getting closer to launching a new telescope. It will go above and beyond of what Hubble telescope did.

http://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2016/james-webb-space-telescopes-golden-mirror-unveiled

This is going to be a whole new kind of a show coming to a town near you.

Quote
NASA.gov
Scientists from around the world will use this unique observatory to capture images and spectra of not only the first galaxies to appear in the early universe over 13.5 billion years ago, but also the full range of astronomical sources such as star forming nebulae, exoplanets, and even moons and planets within our own Solar System. To ensure the mirror is both strong and light, the team made the mirrors out of beryllium. Each mirror segment is about the size of a coffee table and weighs approximately 20 kilograms (46 pounds). A very fine film of vaporized gold coats each segment to improve the mirror's reflection of infrared light. The fully assembled mirror is larger than any rocket so the two sides of it fold up. Behind each mirror are several motors so that the team can focus the telescope out in space.

Reply Quote

Techie

Re: James Webb telescope - a whole new show is coming to town
September 11, 2016

Registered: 16 years ago
Posts: 3,454

I almost want to laugh when deeply religious preachers make remarks such as: "All of the anwers that you are looking for are right there in the book (Bible, for example)". Really? Could one fit the information of even 1/4 of galaxies that are visible in our telescopes into that book? Not even a thought that such would be possible. Maybe Catholic Church is looking to add a few more pages to the book that knows everything because they happen to own a big telescope themselves.