Incredible Discoveries Of The James Webb Telescope | Universe Explorers | BBC Earth Science

Summary

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is revolutionizing astronomy with its unprecedented capabilities. Its massive, precisely engineered mirror, combined with its infrared detection, allows us to see further and clearer into the cosmos. From capturing the material falling into a black hole to revealing the atmospheres of exoplanets, JWST has already made significant discoveries. The inclusion of the mid-infrared instrument, MIRI, was a game-changer, enabling us to peer through dust clouds and observe the early stages of star formation. The launch and successful operation of JWST have been a monumental achievement, promising a wealth of new insights into the universe.

Takeaways

• 🌌 The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is revolutionizing our view of the universe, capturing unprecedented images of planets, galaxies, and cosmic phenomena.
• 🔭 JWST's first images have already shown material falling into a black hole, highlighting its advanced observational capabilities right from the start.
• 👨‍🔬 The telescope is the result of decades of international collaboration and represents a significant leap in astronomical technology.
• 🪄 JWST's primary mirror is the largest ever launched into space, measuring six and a half meters in diameter, which greatly enhances its sensitivity and light-gathering capacity.
• 📐 The mirror's precision is astounding, with an accuracy that would allow for a bump the size of a centimeter across the entire United States if scaled up.
• 🌡 JWST is thousands of times more sensitive than the Hubble Space Telescope, allowing it to detect fainter objects and observe further into the universe.
• 🔦 The telescope detects infrared light, which is invisible to the human eye but can reveal details such as exoplanet atmospheres and the signatures of life-supporting molecules.
• 🌌 Infrared capabilities allow JWST to peer through dust clouds and observe the universe's early stages, including the formation of stars and galaxies.
• 🔬 The Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) on JWST is crucial for observing cooler cosmic phenomena and is a significant contributor to the telescope's discoveries.
• 🚀 The launch of JWST on Christmas Day 2021 was a culmination of 17 years of work and marked the beginning of its journey to explore the universe's origins.
• 🎉 The successful operation of JWST and the stunning images it has produced have been met with amazement and excitement from the scientific community.

Q & A

What is the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) revealing about the universe?

The James Webb Space Telescope is revealing unprecedented details about the universe, including planets, the furthest galaxies, and strange phenomena such as material falling into black holes.

How does the JWST compare to previous telescopes in terms of its revolutionary capabilities?

The JWST is revolutionary because it represents a significant leap forward in measurement capability, offering a sensitivity thousands of times greater than the Hubble Space Telescope.

What makes the primary mirror of the James Webb Space Telescope special?

The primary mirror of the James Webb Space Telescope is special due to its sheer size, being the largest ever launched at around six and a half meters, and its incredible precision, with bumps and dips measuring only about one centimeter if stretched to the size of the United States.

Why was the mirror of the JWST designed to be foldable?

The mirror had to be designed as foldable because of its large size, which would not fit inside the rocket if left unfolded.

How does the size of the JWST's mirror impact its capabilities?

The larger the mirror, the more light it can collect, which increases the telescope's sensitivity and allows it to see further into space.

What type of light does the James Webb Space Telescope detect?

The James Webb Space Telescope detects infrared light, which is beneficial for observing phenomena such as the atmospheres of exoplanets, star formation regions, and potential signs of life.

Why is the mid-infrared instrument (MIRI) on board JWST significant?

MIRI is significant because it allows the telescope to observe cooler phenomena in the universe, peering back into earlier stages of star formation and seeing through dust clouds.

What challenges did MIRI face in being included on the JWST?

MIRI was not initially part of the plans due to its technical complexity and the need to make a case for its inclusion as a mid-infrared facility.

When was the James Webb Space Telescope launched, and what was the significance of the launch?

The James Webb Space Telescope was launched on Christmas Day 2021. The successful launch marked the beginning of a new era in astronomy, capable of observing the universe in unprecedented detail.

What were some of the first images captured by the JWST, and what did they reveal?

Some of the first images captured by the JWST included the Southern Ring Nebula, revealing a binary star system for the first time, and Stephan's Quintet, showing material falling into a black hole in an active galactic nucleus.

What are the expectations for future discoveries with the JWST?

With the JWST, scientists expect to answer many known questions about the universe, but also anticipate a realm of new discoveries and mysteries that will arise, potentially leading to new questions and insights.

Outlines

00:00

🌌 Revolutionary Insights from the James Webb Space Telescope

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has ushered in a new era of astronomical discovery, providing unprecedented views of the universe's most distant galaxies and peculiar phenomena. Its launch marks a significant leap in measurement capability, with a massive primary mirror that is the largest ever sent into space, measuring over six meters in diameter. This mirror's size and precision, along with its sensitivity thousands of times greater than the Hubble Telescope, allows JWST to collect more light and observe further into the universe. The telescope's ability to detect infrared light, which is invisible to the human eye, enables the observation of exoplanet atmospheres and the detection of molecules crucial to life. The script highlights the importance of the mid-infrared instrument, MIRI, which allows astronomers to see through dust clouds and further back in time, contributing to the discovery of the furthest galaxies ever observed.

05:01

🚀 The Journey and Triumph of the James Webb Space Telescope

The script narrates the emotional journey from the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope to the reception of its first awe-inspiring images. The launch on Christmas Day 2021 was a moment of intense anticipation and relief, culminating in a successful liftoff that was described as a 'very good Christmas present.' The months following the launch were filled with excitement and anxiety as the telescope traveled to its destination and its instruments were gradually activated. The first images from JWST, particularly those captured by the mid-infrared instrument MIRI, exceeded expectations, revealing new details and binary systems in nebulae and the extraordinary sight of material falling into a black hole. The script concludes with a reflection on the privilege and pride of being part of the JWST mission, anticipating a future filled with new discoveries and the joy of uncovering the universe's mysteries.

Keywords

💡James Webb Space Telescope

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is a large, infrared-optimized space telescope launched by NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). It is considered revolutionary for astronomy due to its unprecedented sensitivity and resolution. In the script, it is highlighted for its ability to observe distant galaxies, material falling into black holes, and for its role in major astronomical discoveries.

💡Infrared light

Infrared light is a part of the electromagnetic spectrum with longer wavelengths than visible light, which means it is invisible to the human eye. The script emphasizes the importance of infrared light in the JWST's observations, as it allows astronomers to see through dust clouds and observe celestial bodies and phenomena that are not visible in the optical range.

💡Black hole

A black hole is a region in space where the gravitational pull is so strong that nothing, not even light, can escape from it. The script describes the observation of material falling into a black hole, demonstrating JWST's ability to capture high-resolution images of such elusive cosmic phenomena.

💡Primary mirror

The primary mirror of a telescope is the largest mirror that collects light. The JWST's primary mirror is the largest ever launched into space, measuring around six and a half meters in size. Its size is crucial for the telescope's sensitivity and ability to observe distant objects, as mentioned in the script.

💡Sensitivity

In the context of telescopes, sensitivity refers to the ability to detect faint signals or objects that emit low levels of light. The script explains that JWST's sensitivity is thousands of times greater than that of the Hubble Space Telescope, allowing it to observe objects much further away.

💡MIRI

MIRI, or the Mid-Infrared Instrument, is one of the four main scientific instruments on the JWST. It operates in the mid-infrared range and is essential for observing cooler phenomena in the universe, such as star formation. The script discusses the significance of MIRI in capturing images that were previously impossible to see.

💡Redshift

Redshift in astronomy refers to the increase in wavelength (or shift towards the red end of the spectrum) of light emitted by an object moving away from the observer. The script mentions that JWST has observed the highest redshift galaxies, indicating it can see further back in time and space than ever before.

💡Galaxies

Galaxies are massive systems consisting of stars, stellar remnants, gas, dust, and dark matter, bound together by gravity. The script discusses the observation of the furthest galaxies and the study of phenomena such as material falling into a black hole within active galactic nuclei.

💡Planetary nebula

A planetary nebula is the shell of ionized gas shed by a star during its transition to a white dwarf. The script refers to the Southern Ring Nebula, highlighting JWST's ability to observe binary systems within such nebulae, which was previously unseen.

💡Stephan's Quintet

Stephan's Quintet is a group of five galaxies in a compact galaxy group, some of which are interacting with each other through gravitational forces. The script uses this as an example of the detailed observations JWST can make, such as detecting material falling into a black hole within one of the galaxies.

💡Astronomy

Astronomy is the scientific study of celestial objects, space, and the physical universe as a whole. The script discusses the revolutionary impact of JWST on the field of astronomy, enabling scientists to make significant strides in understanding the universe through its advanced capabilities.

Highlights

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is revealing unprecedented details of the universe, including material falling into black holes.

JWST is the product of decades of international scientific collaboration.

It represents a revolutionary leap in astronomical measurement capability.

JWST's primary mirror is the largest ever launched, at around six and a half meters.

The mirror's size significantly enhances the telescope's sensitivity, being thousands of times more sensitive than Hubble.

The mirror's precision is such that if scaled to the size of the United States, the largest imperfections would be about one centimeter.

JWST detects infrared light, allowing for the observation of exoplanet atmospheres and potential signatures of life.

Infrared capabilities enable the capture of images previously impossible in the optical range.

JWST has three instruments observing near-infrared and one, MIRI, observing mid-infrared, crucial for detecting cooler cosmic phenomena.

MIRI is essential for observing the early stages of star formation and the universe's cooler phenomena.

The images from JWST are the most detailed ever, revealing unexpected features of the universe.

JWST has already discovered the furthest galaxies ever seen, with the highest redshifts.

MIRI was not initially planned for JWST but was later included due to its scientific importance.

The successful launch of JWST on Christmas Day 2021 marked the beginning of its journey to the edge of time.

The first images from JWST astounded scientists with their clarity and the new information they provided.

JWST's images of the Southern Ring Nebula revealed a binary system, a discovery never made before.

Images of Stephan's Quintet captured material falling into a black hole, showcasing the telescope's unprecedented capabilities.

JWST is expected to uncover new mysteries and answer questions about the universe that we have yet to even consider.

Transcripts

The James Webb Space Telescope is revealing the universe like never

before. Our planets, the furthest galaxies, and

the strangest phenomena.

And what you can see is actually material falling into a black hole.

And that's only in the first few weeks.

There's going to be a lot more discoveries to come.

The James Webb Space Telescope is a product of decades of hard work from

scientists around the world.

I have been waiting my entire astronomy career for JWST.

It is absolutely revolutionary compared to what was available.

It's very, very rare in science that you make a big step forward in your

measurement capability in the way that JWST has done for astronomy.

And it's just, it just doesn't happen very often in the history of science,

and that's really exciting and significant.

One of the things that makes James Webb so special is its gigantic mirror.

So that there are various things that make the primary mirror on James Webb

special and incredible.

The first is the sheer size of the mirror.

It's the largest one ever launched.

The Webb mirror is around six and a half metres in size, so if you can imagine

that, that's bigger than most houses that you're walking by.

It's so large it wouldn't fit in the rocket.

So they had to devise a way of folding it up so that it would fit inside the

top of the rocket.

It's absolutely humongous.

And that makes a really big difference in terms of the sensitivity of the

telescope.

Well, it's thousands of times more sensitive than Hubble.

It's a step forward of factors of a thousand or more.

Factors of several thousand, in fact, I'm correcting myself.

The bigger the mirror, the more light you collect, the bigger the collecting

area, the more sensitive you are and the further you can see.

The other thing that makes it absolutely incredible is the precision with which

it's been made. If the mirror was stretched to be the size of the United

States and you were to measure the size of the biggest bumps and dips on the

mirror, you're only looking at a bump or a dip of order one centimetre in size

. It's absolutely incredible.

And that's what generates the near-perfect images from the primary

mirror.

But it's not just the mirror that makes the images from James Webb so

incredible. It's also the type of light that it detects.

The James Webb Space Telescope detects infrared light, which is a wavelength of

light that we can't see, but the unique properties of infrared make it

incredible for exploration.

So, with infrared light, you can see the atmospheres of exoplanets, these

molecules in star formation regions, things like caffeine and alcohol and

water ice, the signatures of life around other planets.

So just a few things then.

Infrared opens up the possibilities for astronomers like Olivia and allows them

to capture images that would previously be impossible in the optical range.

But even within the infrared spectrum, there are multiple different wavelengths

. On board Webb, there are three instruments that observe near-infrared.

This is closer to the visible spectrum.

But the instrument that's garnering the world's attention is the mid-infrared

instrument on board JWST, known as MIRI.

MIRI is essential for JWST.

Without it, you can't see the cooler phenomena in the universe.

You can't peer back as into the earlier stages of star formation as you would

like.

So MIRI is an incredibly significant and important instrument.

The images contain far more detailed and has ever been done before.

When we look at it in a new wavelengths of light, we find things that we hadn't

expected to see.

And that's a really important part of how you discover things about the

universe.

MIRI allows us to see further along the infrared spectrum, and this in turn

allows us to see through dust clouds and further back in time than ever

before. That's because as galaxies move away from us, the colour they emit,

shifts further into the infrared.

So the longer the wavelength we can observe, the further back in time we can

see. But, despite the capabilities of MIRI, it very nearly didn't make it on

board James Webb.

So MIRI wasn't initially part of those plans because it seemed technically very

complicated, and I think people were thinking about the science in a slightly

different way. And so, I started making the case that really we needed to add a

mid-infrared facility to the telescope.

Gillian Wright is the European Principal Investigator for MIRI and the director

of the UK Astronomy Technology Centre and was instrumental in pitching to get

MIRI on board Webb.

When I found out it was confirmed that MIRI was going to be on board, I

remember being very happy and also knowing that I was going to be very busy

for a large number of years.

Gillian wasn't wrong.

Construction of James Webb Space Telescope started in 2004 and 17 years

of work later, on Christmas Day 2021, with MIRI securely on board, the

telescope finally launched.

And liftoff...

Décollage... Décollage, liftoff from a tropical rainforest to the edge of time

itself. James Webb begins a voyage back to the birth of the universe.

I've been looking forward for the Webb launch for many, many years, and as it

got close to Christmas Day, I was extremely nervous.

I don't think my family enjoyed Christmas morning with me because I had

on the TV, the Webb launch playing and I was, I was quite nervous.

I had my pillows ready in case I needed to hide.

Everything went perfectly.

It was it was an incredible launch.

It was a pleasure. A pleasure to watch.

So, it was a very good Christmas present.

It was a lovely Christmas present.

It really was.

Over the next few months, the James Webb Space Telescope travelled over 1.5

million kilometres away from Earth to its new home, gradually turning on the

instruments along the way.

So then it was getting really exciting because we've been from Christmas Day

all the way through until the late, late spring, when MIRI finally gets

turned on.

As the instruments are being turned on, it's both exciting and it's nerve

wracking because you know that there could be things wrong.

After decades of work, the James Webb Space Telescope was finally operational,

and it wasn't long before the images started coming in.

I knew when Webb was going to take its first images, they were going to be

spectacular. What had not prepared me was just how spectacular they were going

to be.

The first images were just incredible, just so beautiful.

It was amazing.

And when the first images came back, I was just absolutely astounded at how

good everything performed, and I've been smiling ever since.

It's almost emotional.

The images are spectacular, and the only thing more spectacular than the images

are the discoveries that lie within them.

So, one of the things I think that's really exciting about the early images

is the way they show how MIRI really adds information.

I can see details in there that I knew existed, but I never thought I'd be able

to see with a scientific instrument.

Some of the first Webb images released were of the Southern Ring Nebula.

This is a planetary nebula, which is a star at the very end of its life.

In the MIRI image, we see actually a second star, so we can see a red star

and a white star.

So these are actually a binary system, and that's the very first time we've

seen this binary companion in the Southern Ring Nebula.

This is an image of Stephan's Quintet, five galaxies that are interacting with

each other, and what you can see in this galaxy up here, is actually

material falling into a black hole in an active galactic nuclei.

You can see the material in the galaxy is actually orbiting and falling into

the galaxy itself.

This is 13 times further than what we've been able to see before in the

infrared.

I mean, JWST has already found the furthest galaxies we've ever seen, the

highest redshift ones, the closest, and that's only in the first few weeks of

operation, and that's really exciting.

And I think it's an indication that there's going to be a lot more

discoveries to come.

With Webb, we've designed it to answer many of the questions we already know

about the universe.

But as with all new telescopes, there's a realm of new discoveries.

The mysteries that will arise.

I think they're really exciting.

New questions to answer.

The questions we don't know how to ask just now, and I think that's really

exciting to see something that nobody, not only has nobody ever seen it before,

but nobody expected to see it.

I feel very privileged to be part of this.

I'm proud to be part of JWST.

It's been an amazing journey and a fantastic privilege, really, to be part

of it.

I think it's just incredible, I had a, I helped make that instrument, and when I

see these images, I'm just full of smiles.