Exploring Alien Worlds: James Webb Telescope’s Discoveries

Recently, NASA made the captivating and groundbreaking images captured by the James Webb Telescope available to the public. These extraordinary photos offer unique insights into the universe, including the oldest glimpse of our cosmos, reaching back an astonishing 13.1 billion years. Another image has unveiled an alien exoplanet where the presence of water, H2O, has been detected. In this chapter, let’s delve into these remarkable discoveries.

The James Webb Space Telescope stands as the largest and most potent space science telescope ever constructed. Every image it captures represents a new revelation, granting humanity an unparalleled view of the cosmos. With its ability to observe the formation of the universe’s first stars and galaxies, the Webb has sparked tremendous excitement and amazement among scientists and enthusiasts alike.

Now, let’s delve into the intriguing details of this telescope. The James Webb Space Telescope, with a cost of approximately $10 billion, underwent 25 years of meticulous design and development. Remarkably, it operates under frigid conditions, with a current temperature of -266.75°C, a mere few degrees warmer than the absolute zero temperature limit of -273°C. To maintain this extreme cold, the telescope orbits the Sun rather than the Earth, specifically at the L2 Point, positioned about 1.5 million kilometers from our planet. This location remains in the Earth’s shadow, ensuring the necessary temperature conditions. Additionally, an expansive sun shield, nearly the size of a tennis court, blocks out excess sunlight.

One of the most remarkable features of this telescope is its extraordinary focal length, measuring 131.4 meters—more than 2,500 times the focal length of a typical DSLR camera lens. The telescope’s main mirror weighs about 705 kg.

The James Webb Space Telescope mainly operates within the infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, encompassing wavelengths from 0.6 to 28 micrometers. This extended wavelength range offers a unique advantage: it enables the telescope to peer through gases and clouds, making it particularly adept at astronomical observations.

The telescope is equipped with two infrared cameras: the Near Infrared Camera (NIRCAM) for capturing shorter infrared wavelengths and the Mid Infrared Instrument (MIRI Cam) for longer wavelengths. These two cameras yield different images due to the variation in wavelengths they capture.

The image captured by NIRCAM is awe-inspiring and garnered substantial attention when initially released. It allows us to witness the death of a star in exquisite detail. In this image, two stars are orbiting each other, with the brighter star in the earlier stages of its life and the dimmer star nearing the end of its life cycle. The dying star has released clouds of gases and dust over thousands of years, forming a structure known as a Planetary Nebula. Due to the gravitational interplay between the stars, this nebula takes on its distinctive shape.

The image captured by MIRI Cam provides a complementary perspective. It reveals the two stars more distinctly while lessening the prominence of the cloud. This effect is due to the longer wavelength of MIRI Cam, enabling it to penetrate the cloud’s dense center.

Stars, like humans, undergo a life cycle that progresses through stages such as childhood, adolescence, adulthood, old age, and ultimately, death. Our Sun, which is a star, is currently in its youthful phase, but in about 5 billion years, it will transition into a Red Giant, following a similar path to the stars depicted in the image.

As a Red Giant, our Sun will grow in size and consume the inner planets of Mercury and Venus. Earth’s environment will become inhospitable. Ultimately, it will become a planetary nebula, followed by a White Dwarf, and reach the conclusion of its celestial journey.

These astonishing discoveries underscore the tremendous capabilities and scientific potential of the James Webb Space Telescope, offering us unparalleled views of the cosmos and the enigmatic life cycles of stars.

Humans have a generous timespan of 5 billion years to uncover a technology capable of modifying Earth’s orbit. But that’s a concern for a future era; let’s concentrate on the remaining astronomical revelations. NASA recently unveiled a series of captivating images from the James Webb Space Telescope, starting with what is perhaps the most historically significant photograph. This image takes us on a visual journey through 13 billion years of cosmic history.

American President Joe Biden described it as a “new window into the history of the universe.” The photograph captures a galaxy cluster known as SMACS 0723. The galaxies closer to our vantage point possess substantial gravitational forces that bend and distort the light behind them, creating an effect called Gravitational Lensing. This phenomenon enables us to observe objects concealed behind the galaxy cluster. However, it wasn’t a simple point-and-click process; it took the telescope 12.5 hours to capture this image. It involved taking multiple images at various wavelengths and then combining them into the remarkable composite photo we see.

In this composite image, galaxies appear redder in color the farther they are from us, with redness indicating increased distance. Another notable photograph features Stephan’s Quintet, which is a collection of five galaxies, even though the prefix “quin” typically signifies five, it seems more appropriate to call it a Quadtet. This is because the leftmost galaxy in the image lies 40 million light-years away, while the other four galaxies are positioned about 290 million light-years away. The leftmost galaxy appears more vivid and detailed, while the other four galaxies appear somewhat blurred. These four galaxies’ proximity to one another has led to their interstellar dust and stars interacting and being affected by each other’s gravitational forces. This interaction provides scientists with an intriguing opportunity to study the outcomes when galaxies come into such close proximity.

Perhaps the most exquisite image reveals the birth of a star. Dubbed the “Cosmic Cliffs” by scientists, this image captures the Carina Nebula, a bright area formed by clouds of dust and gases, often likened to a shining cloud or “Niharika” in Hindi. Referring to the life cycle of a star, this image allows us to witness the birth of stars, with the red dots signifying nascent stars. Both the Near Infrared Camera (NIRCAM) and the Mid Infrared Instrument (MIRI Cam) captured this spectacular view.

The most intriguing data, rather than an image, pertains to the exoplanet WASP-96b, located 1,150 light-years away from Earth. Exoplanets are planets outside our solar system. In addition to the two cameras, the James Webb Telescope boasts a Near Infra-Red Imager and Slitless Spectrograph (NIRISS). The NIRISS measured the light emanating from WASP-96b for 6.5 hours, producing a light curve as a result. Analyzing this curve’s data revealed the presence of water (H2O) on the exoplanet, as well as indications of haze and clouds. The ability to determine water’s presence on a planet without visual confirmation is grounded in the distinctive wavelengths of light. Each color has a specific wavelength, and the colors we perceive are a product of these wavelengths. Using spectrographs to measure light intensities at these wavelengths provides valuable information. In this instance, the pattern of blocked wavelengths indicated the presence of H2O on WASP-96b.

However, the outlook for extraterrestrial life on WASP-96b is far from optimistic. The exoplanet’s extreme proximity to its star, combined with its size, results in searing temperatures exceeding 530°C. The chances of discovering alien life there are exceedingly remote.

In the coming months, the James Webb Space Telescope will be directed toward a different planet, with the aim of capturing images of what is considered one of the most potentially habitable planets. Theoretical calculations suggest that within our Milky Way galaxy, there could be approximately 300 million potentially habitable planets, where conditions might support human existence and sustain life. However, practical observations have been made on only around 5,000 exoplanets within the Milky Way, and this figure encompasses all observed exoplanets, not just the potentially habitable ones.

Remarkably, in November 2018, researchers identified a specific exoplanet as having the highest probability of being habitable when compared to others. This planet bears the name TRAPPIST-1e and bears the closest resemblance to Earth, making it a compelling candidate for habitability. Located a relatively modest 40 light-years away from Earth, which equates to a staggering 380 trillion kilometers, TRAPPIST-1e is considered within a reasonable distance relative to other exoplanets.

Notably, TRAPPIST-1e orbits an ultra-cool dwarf star known as TRAPPIST-1, which is distinctly cooler than our Sun, hence the “ultra-cool” designation. The separation between the star and the planet is less than Earth’s distance from the Sun. Significantly, the planet’s temperature falls within the habitable zone, making it conducive to the presence of liquid water. Furthermore, the physical attributes of TRAPPIST-1e closely resemble Earth’s, with a radius of 91% and total mass of 77% compared to Earth. The density is approximately 102% of Earth’s, and surface gravity measures at 93% of Earth’s gravity. The planet is confirmed to have a solid rock surface.

The relatively cold yet not freezing temperatures on this planet allow for the existence of liquid water. In the months ahead, the James Webb Space Telescope will conduct a comprehensive analysis of TRAPPIST-1e. This analysis will focus on examining the planet’s atmosphere to detect the presence of specific gases like carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapor. The identification of a particular combination of these gases could suggest the potential for life on this distant planet.

We eagerly anticipate the forthcoming discoveries facilitated by this advanced telescope. Scientists have long believed that to support life, a celestial body should possess three key elements: liquid water, a solid surface, and an atmosphere harboring the right combination of gases. As we await the results, it is clear that exploring such potentially habitable exoplanets holds great promise.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *