The James Webb Space Telescope: Four Years Of Unprecedented Exploration

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has marked a significant milestone, four years since its launch on December 25, 2021. This anniversary signifies a transition from discovery mode to a new era of exploration, driven by the telescope’s unparalleled capabilities. At a cost of $9. 7 billion, the JWST is the most powerful telescope in history, boasting unprecedented observational abilities.

Building upon the progress of the Hubble Space Telescope, launched in 1990, the JWST observes primarily in the infrared spectrum. This allows it to penetrate cosmic dust, detect cooler objects, and peer into the early universe. The finite speed of light enables the JWST to see farther into the past by observing objects at greater distances.

As the universe has expanded, visible light from distant objects has been stretched into the infrared, making the JWST an ideal tool for searching for the first sources of light, approximately 100 million years after the Big Bang. The JWST’s design was driven by four frontiers, or horizons, identified by NASA, in collaboration with the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency. These frontiers represent significant milestones in the history of astronomy, including the one traversed by Galileo in the early 17th century.