Blog vol 3. 8 Stunning!
The Webb telescope sent its first photos this week.
NASA and the European Space Agency and our own Canadian Space Agency have collaborated to produce something special. On Monday and Tuesday, July 11 and 12, the first five images were released to the media and, wow!
Some of us remember the first amazing images coming from Hubble in 1990. Many of these images produced by Hubble over the years are archived and still accessible. NASA has taken some of these same Hubble images side by side with the new Webb images. What a difference, like going from analog T.V. to 5 K (see images
here).
With these new images we will be able to see deeper into space and into time than ever before. Scientists estimate that the universe is around 13.7 billion years old, so the Webb can pick up infrared that was released close to 13.7 billion light years away. Hang on to your grey matter, that light may be coming from objects that no longer exist, or are no longer in the form that sent the light.
Not only that, but the sensitivity of the telescope makes it possible to analyze the composition of galaxies, stars, and even planets. All those exoplanets out there can now be checked to see if they have water, oxygen, and other elements that can support life as we know it. With space so vast, the universe being mostly empty space and constantly expanding, it’s exciting for us to have a device that can reach the farthest corners of the universe.
In 1969, NASA captured our imaginations by landing a man on the moon.
Then it was driving a moon buggy and even driving a golf ball (take that, Mr.DeChambeau).
Space and all its vastness gives us lots of fuel for our imaginations. Even Elon Musk inspires with launching Tesla Hot Rods in orbit.
In 1990 Hubble sent us pictures clear of the fog of our atmosphere, and now in 2022, the Webb.
We stand on the shoulders of scientific geniuses who have made it possible to see far far into space, and similarly possible to see detailed images of the inside of the eye.
Looking forward to more images...
Til next week,
the good doctor
