167: James Webb Space Telescope with RSE Dean Mikolajczyk... Part 2
In just DAYS (July 12, 2022), NASA will release the first images from the James Webb Space Telescope for the WORLD to enjoy \u2026and Dean and Beth are on the edge of their seats (making bets on what we\u2019re about to see) and what it will mean for space exploration when we look further into the universe than ever before.\xa0\xa0
The world\u2019s largest and most complex space science observatory will now begin six months of commissioning in space! At the end of commissioning, Webb will deliver its first images. Webb carries four state-of-the-art science instruments with highly sensitive infrared detectors of unprecedented resolution. Webb will study infrared light from celestial objects with much greater clarity than ever before. The premier mission is the scientific successor to NASA\u2019s iconic Hubble and Spitzer space telescopes, built to complement and further the scientific discoveries of these and other missions.
AT THE TIME OF THIS RECORDING, THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION WAS NOT YET RELEASED FROM NASA, but check out what NASA has planned to look at in the universe!\xa0
HERE IS THE LIST!\xa0
NASA\u2019s James Webb Space Telescope, a partnership with ESA (European Space Agency) and CSA (Canadian Space Agency), will soon reveal unprecedented and detailed views of the universe, with the upcoming release of its first\xa0full-color images and spectroscopic data. Below is the list of cosmic objects that Webb targeted for these first observations, which will be released in NASA\u2019s\xa0live broadcast\xa0beginning at 10:30 a.m. EDT Tuesday, July 12. Each image will simultaneously be made available on social media as well as on the agency\u2019s\xa0website.
These listed targets below represent the first wave of full-color scientific images and spectra the observatory has gathered, and the official beginning of Webb\u2019s general science operations.\xa0They were selected by an international committee of representatives from NASA, ESA, CSA, and the Space Telescope Science Institute.
- Carina Nebula.\xa0The Carina Nebula is one of the largest and brightest nebulae in the sky, located approximately 7,600 light-years away in the southern constellation Carina. Nebulae are stellar nurseries where stars form. The Carina Nebula is home to many massive stars, several times larger than the Sun.
- WASP-96 b (spectrum).\xa0WASP-96 b is a giant planet outside our solar system, composed mainly of gas. The planet, located nearly 1,150 light-years from Earth, orbits its star every 3.4 days. It has about half the mass of Jupiter, and its discovery was announced in 2014.
- Southern Ring Nebula.\xa0The Southern Ring, or \u201cEight-Burst\u201d nebula, is a planetary nebula \u2013 an expanding cloud of gas, surrounding a dying star. It is nearly half a light-year in diameter and is located approximately 2,000 light years away from Earth.
- Stephan\u2019s Quintet:\xa0About 290 million light-years away, Stephan\u2019s Quintet is located in the constellation Pegasus. It is notable for being the first compact galaxy group ever discovered in 1877. Four of the five galaxies within the quintet are locked in a cosmic dance of repeated close encounters.\xa0
- SMACS 0723:\xa0Massive foreground galaxy clusters magnify and distort the light of objects behind them, permitting a deep field view into both the extremely distant and intrinsically faint galaxy populations.
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About James Webb Space Telescope\xa0
The James Webb Space Telescope\u2019s revolutionary technology will study every phase of cosmic history\u2014from within our solar system to the most distant observable galaxies in the early universe.
Webb\u2019s infrared telescope will explore a wide range of science questions to help us understand the origins of the universe and our place in it.\xa0 Webb will directly observe a part of space and time never seen before. Webb will gaze into the epoch when the very first stars and galaxies formed, over 13.5 billion years ago. Ultraviolet and visible light emitted by the very first luminous objects has been stretched or \u201credshifted\u201d by the universe\u2019s continual expansion and arrives today as infrared light. Webb is designed to \u201csee\u201d this infrared light with unprecedented resolution and sensitivity.\xa0
Webb will also be a powerful tool for studying the nearby universe. Scientists will use Webb to study planets and other bodies in our solar system to determine their origin and evolution and compare them with exoplanets, planets that orbit other stars. Webb will also observe exoplanets located in their stars\u2019 habitable zones, the regions where a planet could harbor liquid water on its surface, and can determine if and where signatures of habitability may be present.
Using a technique called transmission spectroscopy, the observatory will examine starlight filtered through planetary atmospheres to learn about their chemical compositions.
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ALL THE JWST Resources: https://webb.nasa.gov/index.html\xa0
And at the end of the show, we talked about LIGO. Here\u2019s a great explanation of what LIGO is: https://fb.watch/aOmq7h_PkW/\xa0
About Dean\xa0\xa0\xa0
BS Technical Photography
MS Astrophysics\xa0
NASA MER Mars program
NASA Public Relations
Astronomy instructor & lecturer
Where to find Dean:\xa0