The James Webb Space Telescope, NASA’s newest observatory, has captured images of the aftermath of a massive supernova at the edge of the spiral galaxy NGC 6946.
Just how powerful will this new telescope be?
NASA is slated to launch their new telescope, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), sometime in 2019. The purpose of this giant, $8.8 billion telescope is to get a closer look into distant galaxies and planets to find out more about how our universe came to be. One amazing thing about JWST is that it will be able to see things never before seen in space with its much higher resolution and ability to operate without interference from Earth’s atmosphere. It was discovered by astronomers just last week that one of the first galaxies captured by JWST was an exploding star in the center of spiral galaxy NGC 2997. It appears to have been caused by either two stars colliding or by a supermassive black hole destroying a star too close for comfort. Either way, we are so excited to see what else JWST has up its sleeve. There is no doubt that these observations will help us understand some very important questions in science like: How do galaxies form? Are there other planets like ours? and What makes up all the matter in the universe?
What it will take to launch
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope captured an amazing image of a supernova (exploding star) in deep space. The stellar blast came from an exploding star 25,000 light-years away and died 25,000 years ago. NASA called this the most distant supernova that can be seen without the aid of magnification or a telescope. The explosion occurred outside our Milky Way galaxy and its light traveled for billions of years before it reached Earth. To get to Earth, astronomers used NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope to capture these images.
A new study led by David Sand, an assistant professor of astronomy at Ohio State University and member of the joint LIGO Scientific Collaboration (LSC), predicts the frequency with which we will detect gravitational waves caused by black hole mergers in space based on observations from LIGO’s second observing run. We find strong evidence that the rate of black hole mergers detected during LIGO’s second observing run is consistent with predictions for the number of binary neutron stars left after a hypothetical thermonuclear supernova, says David Sand, lead author on the paper and an assistant professor of astronomy at Ohio State University. This rate also supports our original conclusion from last year that we are seeing only about one-fifth of all binary neutron stars out there.
Where it will go
NASA’s James Webb Space telescope has captured images of a supermassive star exploding into a supernova. The explosion is one-hundred times brighter than other well-known supernovae, and is spotted in data from the powerful telescope’s Wide Field Camera 3. The enormous explosion was seen about 200 million light years away from Earth, at the edge of a spiral galaxy called NGC 1600. Scientists say that this type of supernova will not happen very often; it only happens once every 50 to 100 years per galaxy. In this case, the celestial object responsible for it might have been as massive as 30 suns! It is possible that this type of supernova occurred because two galaxies collided and caused gravitational waves to hit the star at high speeds. It is also possible that two stars interacted with each other to cause such an immense outburst. At first, scientists thought that the black hole at the center of the galaxy had exploded. But now they believe that this theory can be ruled out because there were no telltale signs of an increase in infrared radiation coming from hot gas released by a black hole or neutron star. Instead, they are looking closely at whether this may have been caused by a collision between two white dwarf stars. A third possibility could be that the stellar remnant we see as the supernova remnant is actually a smaller but older event where most of the visible material has already dissipated and what remains are cool clumps of dust. If this is true, then the progenitor would have likely been some kind of red giant, much more common in today’s universe. To know for sure which one it is will require better understanding of how these events take place so that astronomers can identify specific signatures associated with each type of progenitor.
When it will be operational
Once it is deployed in late 2018, it will allow us to see some incredible things. For example, we will be able to search for Earth-like planets and water around stars outside our solar system and understand more about the formation of these stars. We’ll also be able to look back in time and watch galaxies as they are forming, studying how galaxies evolve over billions of years from birth until death. The telescope will provide an entirely new window into the universe, showing us faraway places that we’ve never seen before. It will help us answer questions about dark matter, black holes, and the very origins of our Universe. It will serve as humanity’s memory to ensure that we always remember what’s out there – because there’s so much more out there than meets the eye! We can only imagine what this revolutionary technology will uncover next. As NASA astronaut Scott Kelly says, It’s mind-boggling. I’m going to have access to views on the universe that no one has ever seen. These views will push science forward like nothing else. I feel honored to be among the first people who will use this telescope and honored to represent all those who don’t get a chance in life.
How much it will cost
In order to get your hands on NASA’s new space telescope you’ll need to have $8.7 billion in pocket and wait another seven years for it to be launched into space. The James Webb Space Telescope will study supernovae, light emitted from stars when they explode and go out, giving scientists valuable information about the age of our universe and new insight into dark matter. It was originally scheduled to launch this October but is now postponed until October 2018 due to issues with an instrument called the Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam). Webb has had some challenges that are very well-known that we’re trying to overcome, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said at the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics’ Aviation & Aerospace Summit in Washington, D.C., according to The Wall Street Journal. But he remained optimistic that the mission would happen: We’re not going to let this program slip, he said. It will happen. One way or another, it will happen. And if I have anything to do with it, it will be as soon as possible.
I’ve seen too many people dedicate their lives to this and I can’t just give up on them – so we won’t. So if you want to see a space telescope bigger than Hubble, costing over 8 billion dollars and taking 10 years after its planned launch date before it finally sees use, then put down the remote control, head down to your nearest convenience store and purchase yourself two lottery tickets. You might win enough money to help pay for the cost of building it – but don’t bet on it.
