8 Fascinating Discoveries of the James Webb Telescope
Summary
TLDRThe 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
🚀 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.
🌌 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.
🌟 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.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡James Webb Telescope
💡Optical Telescope
💡Infrared Light
💡Beryllium Mirrors
💡Supermassive Black Hole
💡Exoplanet
💡Pillars of Creation
💡Protostar
💡Micrometeorite Impact
💡Cosmic Fingerprint
💡Direct Image of an Exoplanet
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
[Music]
[Music]
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
[Music]
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
[Music]
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
[Music]
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
[Music]
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
[Music]
cold fusion
浏览更多相关视频
Michio Kaku PANICKING Over James Webb's Discovery At The Edge Of The Universe
5 Things: Hubble Space Telescope
James Webb Telescope Detects a Structure that Should Not Exist
Incredible Discoveries Of The James Webb Telescope | Universe Explorers | BBC Earth Science
Hubble's Expanding Universe Red Shifts The Big Bang
Neil deGrasse Tyson: Are We Alone in The Universe?
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)