Beginning with Ancient Observations

In ancient times, people gazed at the night sky, believing everything revolved around Earth. As observation techniques improved, it became clear that celestial bodies followed complex paths rather than simple arcs. Copernicus proposed a simpler model with the sun at the center, but he hesitated to publish his findings out of fear of repercussions from the church and fellow astronomers.

Fifty years later, in 1609, Galileo, inspired by a Dutch innovation that magnified distant objects, constructed his own telescope. With it, he observed the moon's craters, the Milky Way, and four tiny points of light around Jupiter, which he later identified as its moons. This groundbreaking evidence contradicted the geocentric view held by the ancients and the church, supporting Copernicus's heliocentric model.

The Mechanics of Telescopes

A typical telescope comprises two lenses. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is 100 times more powerful than its predecessor, the Hubble Space Telescope, which itself collected 100 times more light than the human eye. In contrast, JWST can capture a million times more light than we can see. Unlike Galileo's design, Webb employs a revolutionary technique pioneered by Isaac Newton, who created the first reflecting telescope in 1668. This design, using mirrors instead of lenses, allows for larger telescopes that can gather more light and reveal greater depths of the universe.

Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, many astronomers believed the Milky Way was the entire universe. However, the discovery of peculiar fuzzy objects led to the "Great Debate," where astronomers struggled to determine the universe's scale, requiring a telescope larger than ever built.

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The James Webb Telescope: A New Era

When the 18 mirror segments of the JWST are assembled, they will form a nearly perfect optical surface over 21 feet in diameter. This achievement is monumental, considering that just a century ago, creating an 8-foot mirror was a significant challenge. The largest mirror made from 4.5 tons of shattered glass was cast in 1908 and revolutionized astronomy, eventually prompting Albert Einstein to revise his theories.

After his military service in World War I, Edwin Hubble dedicated his life to astronomy at Mt. Wilson Observatory. In 1923, he discovered a variable star that led him to conclude that the Andromeda galaxy was not part of the Milky Way, but rather 2.5 million light-years away. Hubble's findings suggested that we are not alone and that the universe is vast, with galaxies beyond our own.

The Expansion of the Universe

Hubble also demonstrated that the universe is expanding, refuting Einstein's initial belief that it was static—a mistake he later termed his greatest blunder. This realization indicated a time when galaxies were much closer together.

The subsequent endeavor was the construction of a 200-inch telescope at Palomar, known as "the big eye." However, its location on Earth limited its potential due to atmospheric interference. In 1948, Lyman Spitzer proposed placing a telescope in space to overcome this issue, a vision that finally materialized with the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope on April 24, 1990.

The Hubble's Legacy

The initial images from Hubble were disappointing, marred by a slight imperfection in the mirror. Fortunately, astronauts were able to repair it, resulting in stunning images that unveiled the birth and death of stars and the existence of black holes. One of Hubble's most iconic images, the "Hubble Deep Field," was captured by focusing on an empty patch of sky for ten consecutive days, revealing approximately 10,000 galaxies.

The sheer scale of the universe is staggering, with an estimated 100 billion stars in the Milky Way alone, and roughly 10^22 stars in the observable universe. However, we now need a telescope capable of seeing beyond the visible spectrum.

The James Webb Space Telescope

As the universe continues to expand, light from distant galaxies shifts toward the infrared spectrum, making it invisible to Hubble. The JWST is designed to detect this infrared light, allowing us to explore the universe in unprecedented ways.

To achieve this, the JWST must operate at extremely low temperatures, necessitating its placement at the L2 point, a million miles from Earth and the sun. This positioning ensures that the telescope remains cool enough to function effectively.

With a weight of 6 metric tons, significantly lighter than its predecessors, the JWST aims to not only identify the first galaxies but also penetrate dust clouds to observe star formation and investigate exoplanets.

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The Search for Exoplanets

Historically, astronomers have identified various planets in our solar system. The first exoplanets were discovered from Earth, with the Kepler Space Telescope launched in 2009 revolutionizing the search. The transit method, where a planet passes in front of a star, allows astronomers to detect these distant worlds.

The segmented mirror design of the Keck Telescope inspired the JWST and will facilitate the exploration of exoplanet atmospheres for signs of life, such as water vapor and carbon dioxide.

Preparing for Earth's Future

Our quest for knowledge extends beyond curiosity; it serves as a safeguard for our survival. New telescopes are being constructed worldwide to monitor asteroids and study our sun. As our sun ages, it will become significantly brighter, affecting Earth's climate and potentially rendering it uninhabitable. While some scientists argue that humanity must eventually leave Earth, others believe our species may not survive long enough to face such a fate.