The telescope James Webb has been in operation for a few months. The JWST for James Webb Space Telescope was designed by NASA, together with the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). It is the most powerful, largest and most expensive space telescope ever built. It will continue and refine the work of the Hubble Space Telescope, which has been operational since the 1990s.
Its missions are numerous: to determine the evolution of galaxies, from their formation to the present day. Observe the formation of stars. Measure the physical and chemical characteristics of planetary systems. Search for the components necessary for the appearance of life in the atmosphere of exoplanets. And look for the first stars and galaxies to appear in the universe, as close as possible to the Big Bang…
James Webb is already impressing
And we can say that, for the moment, James Webb amazes scientists with the quality of his images, each one more marvelous than the other. Shots of planets, galaxies, and nebulae, each more incredible than the next.
It took 20 years and nearly $10 million to make James Webb such a sharp telescope. But the game is worth the effort, because the JWST has already surprised many times with its fantastic observations. In particular by detecting CO2 in the atmosphere of an exoplanet.
Olivier Sanguy, astronautics specialist at the Cité de l’Espace in Toulouse, tells us more about the James Webb.