NASA's James Webb Telescope Launch Is About to Make History

The James Webb Space Telescope is FINALLY ready for launch. It’s taken over two decades, thousands of international scientists, and billions of dollars to get to this point.

Webb has been in the works since the mid-90s, and today is an international collaboration between NASA, the European Space Agency, the Canadian Space Agency, and many other academic and industry partners. When it was first proposed, the telescope had one major goal: peer back 13.5 billion years to see the first galaxies. Light from those far-off galaxies has been stretched through our ever-expanding universe. By the time it reaches Webb’s mirrors, it’s stretched out of our visible light spectrum into the infrared region, so this is why Webb was designed to see infrared light.

Webb has a massive, eye-catching gold mirror. It’s made up of 18 smaller segments that will click into place after deployment and create a total surface area 6.5 meters across. For comparison, Hubble’s primary mirror is only 2.4 meters in diameter. And remember the temperature of Webb is also key, the telescope has to be kept really really cold. That’s because if a telescope is warm, it can emit its own infrared wavelengths and disrupt observations. So to keep Webb at a chilly 50 Kelvinengineers designed a tennis court-sized sunshield to block out light and heat from the Sun, Earth, and moon. To do this, the shield is made up of five layers, which insulate the telescope while allowing heat to escape between each layer.

Then there’s the infrared instruments themselves, which allow the telescope to do two things: observe objects that emit longer, redder wavelengths (like the earliest galaxies) and cut through the cosmic dust to see the nebula where stars and planets are forming. Using all this new and improved tech, Webb will be able to show us things we’ve never even seen before.

#JamesWebb #JamesWebbSpaceTelescope #seeker #science #countdowntolaunch #astronomy

Read More:

Webb's Mirrors
"A telescope's sensitivity, or how much detail it can see, is directly related to the size of the mirror area that collects light from the objects being observed. Webb's primary mirror is 6.5 meters (21 feet 4 inches) across; a mirror this large has never before been launched into space."

ISIM & Instruments
"Webb's instruments are contained within the Integrated Science Instrument Module (ISIM) which is one of three major elements that comprise the James Webb Space Telescope Observatory flight system."

The Sunshield
"Thanks to the sunshield, the temperature is roughly 600 degrees Fahrenheit less on the cold, shaded side of the observatory than it is on the hot, sunlit side."

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Countdown to Launch takes a deep dive into upcoming space missions from around the world. We interview the people involved and explore the science, innovation and technology that makes them possible.

Seeker empowers the curious to understand the science shaping our world. We tell award-winning stories about the natural forces and groundbreaking innovations that impact our lives, our planet, and our universe.

[TheExoplanetsChannel]

We will finally know whether *_our closest exoplanet is habitable!_*

[dowhiletrue]

I worked on this project many years ago. We developed a metrology system to measure and analyze the beryllium mirror segments as they were being polished. I look forward to a successful launch.

[breadifies]

I remember hearing about its launch almost 7 years ago when I was still in primary school. What with all the delays I can't believe it's finally being launched lol

[easterlake]

The idea for this telescope was first discussed in the late 80's.
I got a job, worked 32 years and retired in that same time frame.
Finally, Merry hope.
Oh yea, I had children and grandkids also.

[patrickhurley]

I've been aware of this since I was about 16 and now I'm almost 32...been waiting this whole time

[zrocsta]

I just hope everything goes according to plan. Both excited and nervous at the same time

[mal]

There are so many things that could go wrong, but I believe in the people who put this together. The engineering on this telescope is incredible

[jjeverson]

Props to the nameless scientists that made this happen. Respect on all fronts

[kingt]

So excited for my new desktop wallpaper!

[youtubeconnollyfamily]

I cannot even explain how excited I am for this. The James Webb is going to change The way everyone looks into the sky. When it launches it should be on every news channel. Such a historic moment. Happy holidays everyone!

[Stroon]

Its gonna be the best early morning christmas present in a generation

[fixerbear]

Until its at L2, fully deployed, I'll still be worried

[biglipsjim]

Thank you to everyone, every mind, and every hand that went into making the James Webb telescope.I hope the things we find with it to be life changing.

[solosailorsv]

I prefer to imagine ALL my tax dollars went just to this one, great project

[banshee]

These kinds of feats are what makes the space community so much exciting.
spending a fortune just to explore.
it is so tied to instinctive human curiosity.

[emsjen]

I'm so excited! This telescope is going to rewrite A LOT of science books!

[notrandomcharacters]

4:27 the most exciting discoveries, we can't even imagine...

[stonedhomer]

At this point we need a Global Space Agency.

[themartianway]

Shia LaBeouf: "JUST DO IT!!!"

[memng]

most excellent!
We've been patient.
Maybe we will stop annoying one another long enough to marvel in collective awe as the mystery of our beginning unfolds before our tearfull eyes?