The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is an incredible tool that helps us learn more about space. While other telescopes like those on Earth and the Hubble Space Telescope have taught us a lot, the JWST is going to help us understand the universe in even more amazing ways.
To see why the JWST is so special, let’s compare it to the Hubble Space Telescope. Hubble was launched in 1990 and orbits about 340 miles above Earth. It has taken beautiful pictures of stars, galaxies, and planets.
The JWST is about 100 times more powerful than Hubble! It will be located nearly a million miles from Earth at a spot called L2. This is one of five special places in space where gravity and motion balance out, so the telescope can stay in place easily.
Being at L2 gives the JWST some cool advantages. Unlike Hubble, which sometimes has its view blocked by Earth, the JWST will have a clear view of space all the time. This means it can watch the stars and galaxies without any interruptions.
One big difference between Hubble and the JWST is the kind of light they look at. Hubble mostly sees visible light, which is the same light our eyes can see. But the JWST is designed to see infrared light, which is a type of light we can’t see with our eyes.
To understand why infrared light is important, we need to talk about light and something called redshift. Light comes in different colors, from violet to red. When something moves closer to us, its light shifts to blue. When it moves away, the light shifts to red, which is called redshift.
As the universe gets bigger, galaxies move away from us, and their light turns red. This makes it hard to see them with visible light. But the JWST can see infrared light, which helps it look through space dust and see things that are hidden.
The JWST will let scientists look back in time by seeing light that has traveled for billions of years. For example, light from the Andromeda Galaxy takes about 2 million years to reach us. So, when we look at Andromeda, we’re seeing it as it was 2 million years ago! The JWST can see even farther, maybe even to when the first stars and galaxies were forming.
The James Webb Space Telescope is not just any telescope; it’s a super powerful tool that will help us learn amazing things about the universe. With its ability to see infrared light, its clear view of space, and its special location, the JWST will help answer big questions about how stars and galaxies form and even how the universe began. As we wait for its discoveries, the JWST shows how clever humans can be and how much we want to learn about the universe we live in.
Create Your Own Telescope Model: Use simple materials like cardboard tubes, paper, and markers to create a model of a telescope. Think about the differences between the Hubble Space Telescope and the James Webb Space Telescope. How would you design your telescope to see far into space? Discuss with your classmates how your telescope might work and what it might discover.
Infrared Light Experiment: Gather a flashlight, a piece of colored cellophane (red or blue), and a small mirror. Cover the flashlight with the cellophane and shine it on the mirror. Notice how the light changes color. Discuss how the James Webb Space Telescope uses infrared light to see things that are far away or hidden behind space dust. Why is this important for discovering new things in space?
Redshift and Blueshift Activity: Use a toy car or any small object that can move. Imagine the car is a galaxy. As you move the car away from you, say “redshift” because the light is shifting to red. As you move it closer, say “blueshift” because the light is shifting to blue. Discuss with a partner why understanding redshift helps scientists learn about galaxies moving away from us. How does this relate to the universe getting bigger?
