James Webb Telescope

[flobadob]

NASA are about to release some of the first images taken by the new James Webb space telescope.

These images are going to be of galaxies and nebulae millions of light years away from earth. Therefore, although they will look nice and pretty, they will not really show much actual detail of anything.

But what if instead, they pointed it at one of our local planets? Would they be able to pick up details from their surfaces that we haven't seen before? I think that would be more interesting. Seen one cool looking galaxy, seen em all.

[Buenchico]

From the NASA website:
"Because the telescope and instruments have to be kept cold, Webb’s protective sunshield will be blocking the inner solar system from view. This means that the Sun, Earth, Moon, Mercury, and Venus, and of course sun-grazing comets and many known near-Earth objects cannot be observed."

https://webb.nasa.gov/content/about/faqs/faqLite.html

[flobadob]

I wonder does that include Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune?

[FatticusInch]

It’ll take some going to beat the Hubble Deep Field image but fingers crossed.

[FatticusInch]

Wow!
https://news.sky.com/story/nasa-reveals-deepest-and-sharpest-image-of-the-distant-universe-taken-by-james-webb-space-telescope-12649942

[brian j john]

The universe is a pretty big place if it's just us it seems an awful waste of space ..

[Paigntonian]

So if we parked a telescope on a distant planet could we watch the Civil War or the Norman invasion?

[Gromit]

We have made close fly-bys or even landed probes on our near neighbours and their moons, so we already know what is on those.

[ToraToraTora]

10:16, no but if a planet 370 light years away had a powerful enough telescope they could watch the civil war.

[ToraToraTora]

"But what if instead, they pointed it at one of our local planets? Would they be able to pick up details from their surfaces that we haven't seen before? I think that would be more interesting. Seen one cool looking galaxy, seen em all. " - well it could only look at the outer planets and they are gas giants and we've already sent probes to them so we have lots of detail.

[davebro]

//So if we parked a telescope on a distant planet could we watch the Civil War or the Norman invasion?//

If you wanna see 1000 years ago you would have to be 1000 light years away NOW. To go back in time you would have to get there quicker than the speed of light which is (presently) impossible. And even if you did I don't think you would see Harold getting one in the eye!

[HeavensToBetsy]

// 10:16, no but if a planet 370 light years away had a powerful enough telescope they could watch the civil war. //

True (well almost: the English Civil War took place 371-380 years ago). However, they would need a telescope of astronomical proportions. To be able to see astronauts’ footprints on the moon from Earth, you would need a telescope with a mirror over 400m in diameter. Compare that to the JWST, which has a diameter of 6.5m. And the moon is about 1.3 light seconds from Earth.

[Ellipsis]

Incredible stuff. If you haven't seen the first image yet then, before you click the link below, bear in mind:

* This first image is the deepest image of the distant universe to date.
* This first image covers a patch of sky approximately the size of a grain of sand held at arm’s length by someone on the ground


https://www.nasa.gov/webbfirstimages