Partially thanks to Webb’s size and infrared gaze, here are five things the telescope will allow astronomers to do. “Anytime astronomers get a new telescope, it's a kid in a candy store kind of thing,” says Smith. Its closest challenger, Hubble, works primarily in the visible and has a limited infrared-viewing range. It will be the only infrared-specialized telescope in space that can see long distances. Secondly, Webb views the universe in the infrared-the zone on the electromagnetic spectrum with slightly longer wavelengths than visible light. First, it’s big, with a 21.3-foot primary mirror that will make Webb the furthest-seeing telescope humankind has ever built. This latest space-bound contraption is unique because of two capabilities.
it's the whole force of human creativity and all kinds of disciplines that push it there." The new observatory, which is slated to launch from northern French Guiana near the equator, is a joint collaboration between the space agencies of the United States, Europe and Canada. There’s really no telescope like Webb so far, he says. But Webb picks up where its predecessor falls short, says Eric Smith, Webb’s program scientist and chief scientist of NASA’s Astrophysics Division. Webb’s conception is inspired by the Hubble Space Telescope-the 31-year-old observatory famous for capturing stunning photos of our universe's galaxies. Lawmakers and scientists both have expressed concern that the project is siphoning funds from other research areas, but many other scientists say that Webb is worth the money and the wait. The telescope’s takeoff has now been delayed a decade, and its cost has risen roughly $9 billion over budget. After several holdups this year, NASA is set to launch the craft on Christmas. The James Webb Space Telescope, the much anticipated, revolutionary newcomer to the pantheon of space telescopes, is finally set to make a big splash-a welcome change from the waves its oft-delayed launch and ballooning cost have made.
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