8 Fascinating Discoveries of the James Webb Telescope

Summary

The James Webb Space Telescope has delivered awe-inspiring discoveries since its launch in 2021, offering unprecedented clarity in observing the universe. From capturing the birth of a star, unveiling the secrets of black holes in Stefan's Quintet, to detecting carbon dioxide on an exoplanet's atmosphere, the telescope has expanded our understanding of the cosmos. It has also provided detailed images of distant galaxies, potentially revealing the first stars, and captured the 'cosmic fingerprint' of dust rings around binary stars, showcasing the telescope's advanced capabilities and promising future astronomical breakthroughs.

Takeaways

• 🚀 The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) was launched on Christmas Day 2021, offering humanity a new perspective on the universe with unprecedented clarity.
• 🌌 JWST is the largest optical telescope ever sent to space, weighing around six tons, costing 10 billion dollars, and is a collaborative effort between NASA, the European Space Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency.
• 🔭 The imaging system on JWST is incredibly powerful, capable of seeing a coin from 24 miles away or a football from 340 miles away, highlighting its high-resolution capabilities.
• ❄️ The telescope's orbit is one million miles away from Earth, much farther than the Hubble Telescope, posing challenges for servicing and refueling but also providing unique scientific opportunities.
• 🌡️ The temperature extremes on JWST are stark, with one side getting colder than Antarctica while the other can reach 185 degrees Fahrenheit, due to its exposure to sunlight.
• 🌟 JWST's use of infrared light allows it to look further back in time, observing ancient stars and galaxies, and see through dust clouds to witness star formation.
• 🪙 The telescope's 18 giant mirrors are made of beryllium coated in gold, which reflects red light better than other metals, enhancing its observational capabilities.
• 💥 In May 2022, JWST captured the birth of a new star, providing insights into the early stages of stellar formation and the conditions that may have been present during the birth of our solar system.
• 🌌 The telescope has also provided new images of Stefan's Quintet, revealing the secrets of supermassive black holes and their influence on the surrounding galaxies.
• 🌍 In August 2022, JWST provided the first evidence of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of an exoplanet, WASP-39b, marking a significant advancement in the study of exoplanetary atmospheres.
• 🌠 The 'Pillars of Creation' image from JWST offers a detailed view of star formation within interstellar gas and dust, surpassing previous images from the Hubble Telescope and showcasing technological advancements.

Q & A

What significant event occurred on Christmas Day 2021 related to space exploration?

On Christmas Day 2021, the James Webb Space Telescope was launched, an event that provided inspiration amidst a year of negative headlines.

Who are the primary organizations involved in the development of the James Webb Space Telescope?

The James Webb Space Telescope was designed and developed by NASA, along with the European and Canadian space agencies.

What makes the James Webb Space Telescope unique compared to other telescopes?

The James Webb Space Telescope is the largest optical telescope ever sent to space, weighing around six tons, costing 10 billion, and featuring an advanced imaging system capable of seeing great distances and through dust clouds.

How does the temperature on the James Webb Telescope vary during its orbit?

The side of the James Webb Telescope facing away from the sun gets colder than Antarctica, while the side facing the sun can reach temperatures of 185 degrees Fahrenheit or 85 degrees Celsius.

What material are the mirrors of the James Webb Telescope made of, and why was gold chosen for coating?

The mirrors are made of beryllium and coated in gold. Gold was chosen because it reflects red light better than most other metals, with a reflectivity of 98% compared to 85% for a standard mirror.

What is the significance of the James Webb Telescope's orbit being one million miles away from Earth?

The James Webb Telescope's orbit at one million miles away from Earth means it is too far to service if anything goes wrong, but it also has a built-in refueling port for potential future servicing.

What was the impact of a micrometeorite collision on one of the James Webb Telescope's mirrors?

A micrometeorite hit one of the 18 gold mirrors of the James Webb Telescope, causing permanent damage, but experts say the effect on the telescope's performance will be minimal.

What discovery did the James Webb Telescope make regarding the birth of a new star?

The James Webb Telescope captured an image of the birth of a new star in the proto-star phase, which is still gathering mass from surrounding molecular clouds, providing insights into what could have been seen during the birth of our solar system.

What new insights did the James Webb Telescope provide about Stefan's Quintet?

The James Webb Telescope's images of Stefan's Quintet revealed the secrets of supermassive black holes within the galaxies, including the ability to examine hot gases near the black hole and measure the velocity of its outflows.

What was the first evidence captured by the James Webb Telescope regarding an exoplanet's atmosphere?

The James Webb Telescope captured the first evidence of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of an exoplanet named WASP 39b, which is 700 light years from Earth.

How did the James Webb Telescope's image of the Pillars of Creation differ from the Hubble Space Telescope's images?

The James Webb Telescope's image of the Pillars of Creation showed much more detail, with heightened transparency of the gas and dust, creating a three-dimensional understanding of the structure and revealing background light that was not visible in the Hubble images.

What was the significance of the two new galaxies discovered by the James Webb Telescope?

The significance of the two new galaxies discovered by the James Webb Telescope was their record-breaking distance, with one being the most distant starlight ever observed, dating back 350 million years after the beginning of the universe.

What are the two theories proposed to explain the high light emission from the distant young galaxies observed by the James Webb Telescope?

The two theories are that these galaxies could be simply enormous, or more interestingly, they could be centered around the first stars, known as population 3 stars, which burned at unimaginable temperatures made up of only primordial hydrogen and helium.

What is the 'cosmic fingerprint' image captured by the James Webb Telescope, and what does it represent?

The 'cosmic fingerprint' is an image showing at least 17 concentric rings made of cosmic dust emitting from two stars at the center. It represents the orbital cycles of the stars, with each ring indicating a completed cycle and the formation of dust by the compression of gas during these encounters.

What is the significance of the James Webb Telescope capturing a direct image of the exoplanet HIP 65426?

Capturing a direct image of HIP 65426 is significant because it is the first exoplanet outside of our solar system that the James Webb Telescope has imaged directly, showcasing its ability to observe distant and faint objects, which is crucial for future studies of potentially habitable exoplanets.

Outlines

00:00

🚀 Launch of the James Webb Space Telescope

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) was launched on Christmas Day, 2021, offering humanity a new window into the cosmos. This massive, 10-billion-dollar project, a collaboration between NASA, the European Space Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency, is the largest optical telescope ever sent into space. Weighing around six tons, the JWST has already provided scientists with new perspectives and the public with awe-inspiring images of the universe. The episode highlights eight significant discoveries made by the JWST in its first year of operation, starting with fun facts about its capabilities, such as its high-resolution imaging system, extreme temperature variations during orbit, and its use of infrared light to look back in time. The telescope's 18 gold-coated beryllium mirrors, each coated with a thin layer of gold to enhance red light reflection, are also discussed, along with its distant orbit which makes servicing it a challenge.

05:00

🌌 Unveiling the Mysteries of the Universe with JWST

The James Webb Telescope has captured a phenomenal image of a protostar in its early stages of formation, providing insights into what our solar system might have looked like during its birth. The telescope's advanced imaging capabilities have also shed new light on Stefan's Quintet, a collection of galaxies, revealing the presence of a supermassive black hole. Furthermore, in August 2022, the JWST captured the first evidence of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of an exoplanet, WASP 39b, marking a significant milestone in exoplanet exploration. The telescope has also provided an updated, detailed image of the Pillars of Creation, showcasing stars forming within interstellar gas and dust, and highlighting the technological advancements since the Hubble Space Telescope's initial captures. Additionally, the JWST has discovered two new galaxies, one of which is the most distant starlight ever observed, prompting new questions about the early formation of galaxies and the potential existence of the first stars, known as population 3 stars.

10:01

🌟 The Cosmic Fingerprint and Direct Imaging of an Exoplanet

The James Webb Telescope has captured an image known as the 'cosmic fingerprint,' which shows at least 17 concentric rings of cosmic dust emitted from two stars, providing a visual record of their orbital cycles. This discovery demonstrates the telescope's ability to observe subtle phenomena in the universe. Another groundbreaking achievement is the direct imaging of an exoplanet, HIP 65426, which is the first time the JWST has captured such an image. This capability is crucial for future studies of distant worlds and will enhance our understanding of exoplanet physics, chemistry, and formation. The episode concludes by emphasizing the potential of the JWST to revolutionize our understanding of the universe and the privilege of living in a time of such astronomical advancements.

Keywords

💡James Webb Telescope

The James Webb Telescope is the largest optical telescope ever sent to space, developed by NASA in collaboration with the European and Canadian space agencies. It is a significant technological achievement that has provided humanity with unprecedented clarity in observing the universe. The video discusses its launch, capabilities, and the discoveries it has made, highlighting its importance in advancing our understanding of the cosmos.

💡Optical Telescope

An optical telescope is a type of telescope that gathers and magnifies light to observe distant objects. The James Webb Space Telescope is noted for being the largest of its kind, with its advanced imaging system capable of seeing objects from vast distances, such as a coin from 38 kilometers away. This capability is crucial for studying celestial bodies and phenomena in the universe.

💡Infrared Light

Infrared light is a part of the electromagnetic spectrum with longer wavelengths than visible light. The James Webb Telescope uses infrared technology to look further back in time and see through dust clouds, which is vital for observing the formation of stars and galaxies. The video mentions this feature as one of the reasons the telescope can capture images of ancient cosmic events.

💡Beryllium Mirrors

The James Webb Telescope is equipped with 18 giant mirrors made of beryllium, a lightweight, strong metal, which are coated in gold. Beryllium was chosen for its lightweight and thermal properties, allowing the mirrors to withstand the harsh conditions of space. The gold coating enhances the reflection of red light, which is essential for the telescope's infrared observations.

💡Supermassive Black Hole

A supermassive black hole is a black hole with a mass of millions or billions of times that of our sun. The video discusses the discovery of one within Stefan's Quintet, a group of galaxies, and how the James Webb Telescope's advanced imaging has allowed scientists to study the black hole's outflows and feeding mechanisms in detail.

💡Exoplanet

An exoplanet, or extrasolar planet, is a planet that orbits a star outside our solar system. The James Webb Telescope has made significant strides in exoplanet exploration, capturing detailed images and atmospheric data of planets like WASP-39b. The video mentions the discovery of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of an exoplanet, a first for any observatory.

💡Pillars of Creation

The Pillars of Creation is a famous astronomical object within the Eagle Nebula, composed of interstellar gas and dust. The video highlights the updated images captured by the James Webb Telescope, which reveal greater detail and depth compared to previous observations by the Hubble Space Telescope, showcasing the advancement in astronomical imaging technology.

💡Protostar

A protostar is a very young star that is still gathering mass from its surrounding molecular cloud. The video describes an image captured by the James Webb Telescope of a protostar in its early stages, providing insights into the birth of stars and potentially our own solar system's formation.

💡Micrometeorite Impact

The video mentions an incident where a micrometeorite hit one of the James Webb Telescope's mirrors, causing damage. This event illustrates the potential hazards that space telescopes face and the resilience of the telescope's design, as experts stated the impact's effect on performance would be minimal.

💡Cosmic Fingerprint

The term 'cosmic fingerprint' refers to an image captured by the James Webb Telescope showing concentric rings of cosmic dust emitted from two stars. This phenomenon is likened to the rings of a tree, indicating the passage of time and providing a visual record of the stars' orbital cycles.

💡Direct Image of an Exoplanet

Capturing a direct image of an exoplanet is a challenging task due to the overwhelming brightness of the star it orbits. The James Webb Telescope achieved this feat with the exoplanet HIP 65426, marking a significant advancement in the direct imaging of exoplanets and offering potential for future studies of distant worlds.

Highlights

Launch of the James Webb Space Telescope on Christmas Day 2021, inspiring humanity with its technological achievement.

James Webb Telescope, the largest optical telescope ever sent to space, developed by NASA along with European and Canadian space agencies.

The telescope's cost of 10 billion and its weight of around six tons, showcasing a two-decade endeavor.

James Webb Telescope's imaging system capable of seeing a coin from 24 miles away or a football from 340 miles.

Temperature extremes on the telescope, colder than Antarctica on one side and up to 185°F on the other.

Infrared capabilities allowing the telescope to look further back in time and see through dust clouds.

18 giant beryllium mirrors coated with a thin layer of gold, reflecting red light better than other metals.

James Webb Telescope's orbit at one million miles away, making it challenging to service.

Potential for telescope life extension through a built-in refueling port.

Damage to one of the gold mirrors by a micrometeorite, with minimal impact on performance.

Capture of a new star's birth in the proto-star phase, revealing a protoplanetary disk the size of our solar system.

Images of Stefan's Quintet, revealing secrets of supermassive black holes and their growth.

First evidence of carbon dioxide in an exoplanet's atmosphere, WASP 39b, 700 light years from Earth.

Updated image of the Pillars of Creation with unprecedented detail, showcasing star formation and gas transparency.

Discovery of two new galaxies, one being the most distant starlight ever observed, dating back 350 million years after the universe's beginning.

Theories on how distant young galaxies emit so much light, possibly centered around the first stars, population 3 stars.

Eerie 'cosmic fingerprint' image showing concentric rings of cosmic dust around two stars, indicating orbital cycles.

First direct image of an exoplanet, HIP 65426, by the James Webb Telescope, opening possibilities for studying distant worlds.

Anticipated future discoveries from the James Webb Telescope, expected to operate beyond its minimum mission duration.

Transcripts

hi welcome to another episode of Cold

Fusion

2021 was a challenging year for a lot of

people from the tail end of the pandemic

to the Taliban and natural disasters a

year of constantly negative headlines

could make one feel down

but in late 2021 there was one positive

headline among a sea of negativity a

technological achievement that would

provide inspiration to humanity we could

look out into the stars and Marvel at

the universe with Clarity never seen

before

on Christmas Day 2021 the James Webb

Telescope was launched and on that day

that inspiration was delivered

the James Webb Space Telescope was

designed and developed by NASA Engineers

along with the European and Canadian

space agencies it is the largest optical

telescope ever sent to space

weighing around six tons and costing 10

billion it's an achievement that was two

decades in the making but in just one

short year since its launch the James

Webb Telescope has given scientists New

Perspectives amazed the public with

awe-inspiring imagery and opened our

eyes to the endless possibilities of our

universe

in this episode we'll take a look at

eight Amazing Discoveries that the James

Webb Telescope has gifted Us in the year

since its launch but first we'll dive

into a few fun facts

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the Imaging system on the James Webb

Telescope is so good that it could

clearly see a coin from 24 miles or 38

kilometers away or a football from 340

miles or 547 kilometers away

during its orbit the side facing away

from the sun gets colder than Antarctica

while the other side can reach

temperatures of 185 degrees Fahrenheit

or 85 degrees Celsius

because light has a finite speed and

takes time to travel the further away

something is the more ancient it is

using infrared light the James Webb

Telescope can look further back in time

than ever previously possible it also

allows for scientists to see through

dust clouds and see the stars forming

inside pretty remarkable stuff

it's 18 giant mirrors are made of

beryllium but coated in Gold the coating

of gold is only around 600 atoms thick

and the total volume of gold would be

the size of a golf ball and weigh 48

grams

so why use gold

well this precious metal reflects red

light better than pretty much every

other metal 98 reflective versus 85 for

a standard mirror

the orbit of the James Webb Telescope is

one million miles away or 1.6 million

kilometers away while the Hubble

telescope only orbited at 340 miles away

this means that if anything goes wrong

the James Webb Telescope is too far away

to service so after it runs out of fuel

that might be it but not all hope is

lost though there is a built-in

refueling Port so when the fuel runs out

and if humans figure out how to get

spacecraft out there routinely the

telescope's life could be extended

in May of 2022 a micrometeorite hit one

of the 18 gold mirrors permanently

damaging it but experts say the effect

on the telescope's performance will be

minimal

these kinds of impacts were expected but

the damage was Far larger than

anticipated and also this type of

collision was only expected once every

few years

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in November of 2022 the James Webb

Telescope captured a phenomenal image of

the birth of a new star at the

relatively young age of just one hundred

thousand years this star is still in the

proto-star phase of its life that means

that it's still Gathering Mass from

surrounding molecular clouds a process

that can take more than five thousand

years for a low mass star

although the protostar is hidden from

view a protoplanetary disk can be seen

it takes the form of a dark line in the

center of an hourglass display

the rotating disc is made of dense gas

and the incredible infrared light show

is caused by the light from the

protostar leaking above and below the

disc Illuminating cavities within the

gas and the dust surrounding it

what's fascinating about this discovery

is that the protoplanetary disc is

roughly the size of our solar system and

it's not unusual for planets to form in

these conditions NASA believes that this

image provides a glimpse into what could

have been seen during the birth of our

solar system and sun

spread across space between 40 and 290

million light years from Earth sits a

collection of galaxies known as Stefan's

quintet this is part of the Pegasus

constellation although Stefan's quintet

was first discovered in 1877 by French

astronomer eduard Stefan the new images

captured by the James Webb Telescope

have shined a new light on what this

constellation of galaxies can teach us

specifically uncovering the secrets of

black holes although the image of

galaxies dancing with one another is

spectacular what can't be seen is of

most interest to scientists tucked away

within the topmost Galaxy hides a

supermassive black hole and supermassive

is a fitting name this black hole has a

mass a whopping 24 million times that of

our sun and outputs light energy

equivalent to 40 billion Suns

thanks to the Advanced Techniques

available with this new telescope teams

have been able to examine the hot gases

near the black hole and measure the

velocity of its outflows in astonishing

detail this helps scientists better

understand the speed at which

supermassive black holes feed and grow

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in August of 2022 NASA revealed an

exciting Discovery the James Webb

Telescope captured the first evidence of

carbon dioxide in an atmosphere outside

our solar system and that was just the

beginning

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orbiting a sun-like star 700 light years

from Earth resides a hot gas giant

planet roughly the mass of Saturn and

the size of Jupiter its name is wasp 39b

first discovered in 2011 wasp 39b orbits

close to its Sun making it extremely hot

with an average temperature of 900

Degrees Celsius a team at John Hopkins

university has confirmed the presence of

carbon dioxide in WASP 39b's atmosphere

something no Observatory as accomplished

before but wasp 39b had more to offer in

November 2022 new readings from the

James Webb Telescope provided an even

more extensive list of what makes up the

exoplanets atmosphere including atoms

molecules active chemistry in clouds

this type of data will go a long way to

help scientists unlock the bigger

picture of what makes up an exoplanet's

atmosphere and would open the door to a

whole new phase of exoplanet exploration

by the way an exoplanet is just a planet

that's outside our solar system the

first of which was only observed in

1992.

another well-documented view being given

New Life thanks to the James Webb

Telescope is this updated image of the

famous Pillars of Creation these

colossal structures made of interstellar

gas and dust are part of the Eagle

Nebula and sit roughly 7 000 light years

from Earth the Hubble Space Telescope

first captured the pillars in 1995 and

again in 2014. while it was

groundbreaking at the time the James

Webb telescope's capabilities have blown

that image away there's much more detail

than ever imagined and it's now on

display

these stars are seen forming in the

clouds the heightened transparency of

the gas and dust create a

three-dimensional understanding of the

structure and the background is now full

of light

lava-like Lions can be seen like molten

rock pouring through the cracks in a

rock formation they are ejections from

stars in their infancy their supersonic

jets that create bright red patterns

when colliding with a cloud of material

it's an incredible image that further

Builds on the groundwork from Hubble but

it also clearly shows how far technology

has come

just a few short days after the James

Webb Telescope began sending images back

to Earth the information astronomers

gathered was immense within just four

days researchers found two new galaxies

but it wasn't just the discovery that

was a surprise it was the

record-breaking distance because one of

these galaxies was confirmed to be the

most distant Starlight ever observed

dating back a calculated 350 million

years after the beginning of the

universe for context our observable

universe is said to be 13 billion years

old

Marco Castellano of the National

Institute for astrophysics in Rome set a

discovery such as this opens a whole new

chapter in astronomy and compared it to

an archaeologist uncovering a lost city

scientists are now left with one burning

question how was it possible to observe

such distant galaxies

this discovery brings us to our next

entry

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the team that discovered the distant

galaxies were from the University of

Colorado and they weren't surprised just

at the discovery but they were perplexed

at how they even managed to do it it

made them question their understanding

of how galaxies formed in the early

stages of the universe the distant young

galaxies captured by the James Webb

Telescope are vastly different to the

Milky Way and are significantly brighter

than astronomers expected them to be

there are two theories of how these

galaxies emit so much light the first

theory is that they could be simply

enormous but the second theory is far

more interesting it suggests that these

galaxies could be centered around the

first Stars these early Stars known as

population 3 stars burned at

unimaginable temperatures made up of

only primordial hydrogen and helium

no population three stars exist in the

local universe so we'll have to keep an

eye on this and wait to discover the

truth behind this mystery

one of the eeriest images captured by

the James Webb Telescope was released by

astronomers in October of 2022 it was

labeled the cosmic fingerprint while the

images are ethereal and subtle what

causes the Rings is fascinating the

image shows at least 17 concentric rings

made of cosmic dust emitting from two

stars at the center this star Duo is 5

000 light years away from Earth

every eight years the Stars orbits bring

them close enough to each other so their

Stellar winds can meet when this happens

streams of gas are compressed forming

dust which is sent off into space

creating the pattern we see today

this fingerprint has been likened to the

rings of a tree showing its age for each

ring an orbital cycle has been completed

and we are gifted with a spectacular

show

the power of the James Webb Telescope is

on Full display here as previous images

of this event showed just two rings and

now more than 17 can be observed

foreign

light years away from Earth with a mass

6 to 12 times heavier than Jupiter sits

hip

65426 an exoplanet that the James Webb

Telescope recently captured it's the

very first exoplanet outside of our

solar system that the telescope has

taken a direct image of capturing direct

images of exoplanets is extremely

challenging mainly because the stars

that they're right next to are so much

brighter this means only James Webb's

near-infrared capabilities can cut

through this light to reveal the faint

planet in such detail so why is this

exciting

it's because images like this are a

massive step forward for scientists we

could potentially see habitable and

life-sustaining planets outside of our

solar system unfortunately hip

65426 is a gas giant meaning of course

that it's not habitable

but this image hints at many future

possibilities for studying Distant

Worlds as more exoplanets are observed

it's going to shape researchers

understanding of exoplanet physics

chemistry and formation

the James Webb Telescope has offered

insight into our existence and the

future of astronomical research just a

year after its launch according to

researchers all of this barely scratches

the surface of what is capable of

although the James Webb Telescope has a

minimum Mission duration of five years

it's expected to operate far beyond that

so it's safe to expect that astronomers

worldwide will continue to analyze data

for many years to come just what will be

discovered within that data is to be

determined but it could completely

change our understanding of the universe

and I'd say that the time that we're

living in now is a privilege for anyone

with a curious mind

so that just about wraps it up for this

episode and also for this year there's

been plenty of interesting stuff covered

on this channel throughout the year and

I want to thank all of you for

supporting me and making this all

possible

just some quick housekeeping there'll be

some interesting topics coming up early

next year including the whole story of

the Twitter Saga with Elon Musk Sam

Bachman freed finally getting arrested a

landmark achievement in the field of

energy production and much more but for

now thanks for watching my name is Togo

and you've been watching cold fusion and

I'll send you off with a new track that

I recently made cheers guys

have a good one

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cold fusion