we’re building the James Webb Space Telescope in order to be the scientific
Telescope in order to be the scientific
Telescope in order to be the scientific successor to Hubble everybody knows and
successor to Hubble everybody knows and
successor to Hubble everybody knows and loves Hubble Hubble is amazing but there
loves Hubble Hubble is amazing but there
loves Hubble Hubble is amazing but there are some things it just wasn’t designed
are some things it just wasn’t designed
are some things it just wasn’t designed to do when there are many ways in which
to do when there are many ways in which
to do when there are many ways in which we’ve pushed Hubble to its limits the
we’ve pushed Hubble to its limits the
we’ve pushed Hubble to its limits the Webb telescope will be by far the
Webb telescope will be by far the
Webb telescope will be by far the largest telescope we’ve ever sent into
largest telescope we’ve ever sent into
largest telescope we’ve ever sent into space we’re building this telescope
space we’re building this telescope
space we’re building this telescope because it will be much better and more
because it will be much better and more
because it will be much better and more powerful than what we have and so of
powerful than what we have and so of
powerful than what we have and so of course why would you need a better and
course why would you need a better and
course why would you need a better and more powerful telescope it’s to make
more powerful telescope it’s to make
more powerful telescope it’s to make discoveries of things you can only guess
discoveries of things you can only guess
discoveries of things you can only guess about nature is always full of surprises
about nature is always full of surprises
about nature is always full of surprises and very rarely do we predict things the
and very rarely do we predict things the
and very rarely do we predict things the way they actually are one of the most
way they actually are one of the most
way they actually are one of the most exciting things about this telescope is
exciting things about this telescope is
exciting things about this telescope is the opportunity for us to see those very
the opportunity for us to see those very
the opportunity for us to see those very first galaxies that were in the early
first galaxies that were in the early
first galaxies that were in the early universe
universe
universe the James Webb Space Telescope has four
the James Webb Space Telescope has four
the James Webb Space Telescope has four primary science goals the first of those
primary science goals the first of those
primary science goals the first of those is to detect the very first galaxies
is to detect the very first galaxies
is to detect the very first galaxies that were born after the Big Bang the
that were born after the Big Bang the
that were born after the Big Bang the second is to see how galaxies form and
second is to see how galaxies form and
second is to see how galaxies form and assemble over time and how their black
assemble over time and how their black
assemble over time and how their black holes grow the third science theme is to
holes grow the third science theme is to
holes grow the third science theme is to study how stars and primitive planetary
study how stars and primitive planetary
study how stars and primitive planetary systems are born and then the fourth is
systems are born and then the fourth is
systems are born and then the fourth is to learn more about planets and the
to learn more about planets and the
to learn more about planets and the origins of life the primary mirror of
origins of life the primary mirror of
origins of life the primary mirror of the Webb telescope is about 21 feet
the Webb telescope is about 21 feet
the Webb telescope is about 21 feet across and the mirror segments are made
across and the mirror segments are made
across and the mirror segments are made out of beryllium which is a very strong
out of beryllium which is a very strong
out of beryllium which is a very strong lightweight metal that holds its shape
lightweight metal that holds its shape
lightweight metal that holds its shape very well under large temperature
very well under large temperature
very well under large temperature changes so the 18 mirror segments have
changes so the 18 mirror segments have
changes so the 18 mirror segments have about a golf ball-sized worth of gold
about a golf ball-sized worth of gold
about a golf ball-sized worth of gold that’s spread very thin across all of
that’s spread very thin across all of
that’s spread very thin across all of the mirrors the reason we use gold to
the mirrors the reason we use gold to
the mirrors the reason we use gold to coat through the mirror is so that the
coat through the mirror is so that the
coat through the mirror is so that the telescope will be highly reflective in
telescope will be highly reflective in
telescope will be highly reflective in infrared light the biggest questions we
infrared light the biggest questions we
infrared light the biggest questions we have in astronomy right now really
have in astronomy right now really
have in astronomy right now really demand an infrared telescope
demand an infrared telescope
demand an infrared telescope infrared light is sent out by objects
infrared light is sent out by objects
infrared light is sent out by objects that are too cool to emit visible light
that are too cool to emit visible light
that are too cool to emit visible light things that are very very far away like
things that are very very far away like
things that are very very far away like the earliest galaxies they send out
the earliest galaxies they send out
the earliest galaxies they send out visible light but it’s stretched out by
visible light but it’s stretched out by
visible light but it’s stretched out by the expanding universe so that it
the expanding universe so that it
the expanding universe so that it becomes infrared by the time we receive
becomes infrared by the time we receive
becomes infrared by the time we receive it so for these two main reasons we want
it so for these two main reasons we want
it so for these two main reasons we want to study infrared is even a third one
to study infrared is even a third one
to study infrared is even a third one which is that the infrared is able to go
which is that the infrared is able to go
which is that the infrared is able to go around the dust grains that block our
around the dust grains that block our
around the dust grains that block our view of dusty clouds so we can see
view of dusty clouds so we can see
view of dusty clouds so we can see through the dust clouds inside to see
through the dust clouds inside to see
through the dust clouds inside to see stars being born so all of these reasons
stars being born so all of these reasons
stars being born so all of these reasons make infrared a really wonderful open
make infrared a really wonderful open
make infrared a really wonderful open frontier for science now the Webb
frontier for science now the Webb
frontier for science now the Webb telescope is going quite far from Earth
telescope is going quite far from Earth
telescope is going quite far from Earth it’s going to an area we call the
it’s going to an area we call the
it’s going to an area we call the Lagrange point l2 so it hangs out there
Lagrange point l2 so it hangs out there
Lagrange point l2 so it hangs out there about a million miles away from us to
about a million miles away from us to
about a million miles away from us to about four times away as the moon is the
about four times away as the moon is the
about four times away as the moon is the Webb telescope will be very folded up
Webb telescope will be very folded up
Webb telescope will be very folded up before it goes up into space on the long
before it goes up into space on the long
before it goes up into space on the long the way shortly after launch we will
the way shortly after launch we will
the way shortly after launch we will begin to unfold it this all takes place
begin to unfold it this all takes place
begin to unfold it this all takes place over the course of a couple of weeks it
over the course of a couple of weeks it
over the course of a couple of weeks it will be about the size of a tennis court
will be about the size of a tennis court
will be about the size of a tennis court the Sun shield is and it’s about four
the Sun shield is and it’s about four
the Sun shield is and it’s about four stories tall so in comparison to Hubble
stories tall so in comparison to Hubble
stories tall so in comparison to Hubble for example Hubble is about the size of
for example Hubble is about the size of
for example Hubble is about the size of a school bus Webb is more the size of
a school bus Webb is more the size of
a school bus Webb is more the size of like a 737 so it’s huge in building and
like a 737 so it’s huge in building and
like a 737 so it’s huge in building and designing and the whole process leading
designing and the whole process leading
designing and the whole process leading up to launching the telescope there are
up to launching the telescope there are
up to launching the telescope there are well over a thousand people that have
well over a thousand people that have
well over a thousand people that have been involved in that so the Webb
been involved in that so the Webb
been involved in that so the Webb telescope is an international
telescope is an international
telescope is an international partnership between NASA the European
partnership between NASA the European
partnership between NASA the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space
Space Agency and the Canadian Space
Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency
Agency
Agency there’s a whole world of scientists
there’s a whole world of scientists
there’s a whole world of scientists waiting to get the data from this
waiting to get the data from this
waiting to get the data from this telescope so it will affect not only
telescope so it will affect not only
telescope so it will affect not only astronomers now but also the kind of
astronomers now but also the kind of
astronomers now but also the kind of astronomers of the future those kids
astronomers of the future those kids
astronomers of the future those kids that are in high school now or college
that are in high school now or college
that are in high school now or college will be able to use data from this
will be able to use data from this
will be able to use data from this telescope one of the reasons I love
telescope one of the reasons I love
telescope one of the reasons I love astronomy so much is that it gets to the
astronomy so much is that it gets to the
astronomy so much is that it gets to the heart of our big questions of humanity’s
heart of our big questions of humanity’s
heart of our big questions of humanity’s big questions you know where do we come
big questions you know where do we come
big questions you know where do we come from and how did we get here and are we
from and how did we get here and are we
from and how did we get here and are we alone and how does the universe work
alone and how does the universe work
alone and how does the universe work well for me
well for me
well for me building the equipment that can make a
building the equipment that can make a
building the equipment that can make a great discovery has always been like one
great discovery has always been like one
great discovery has always been like one of the most honorable things one could
of the most honorable things one could
of the most honorable things one could ever do and to me this James Webb
ever do and to me this James Webb
ever do and to me this James Webb telescope is the pinnacle of what I
telescope is the pinnacle of what I
telescope is the pinnacle of what I could imagine working on in my
could imagine working on in my
could imagine working on in my professional life I can’t imagine
professional life I can’t imagine
professional life I can’t imagine anything better
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