MUMBAI: A few hours ahead of the release of images of the $10 billion James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) on Tuesday, Lucknow-born Hashima Hasan, deputy programme scientist of JWST at
Nasa, said the telescope will study 13.5 billion years back into the formation of the universe.
Launched on December 25, 2021, the massive telescope with 18 mirrors is a joint venture of Nasa, the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency.
The science mission of JWST, which begins on Tuesday, will focus on four areas — how galaxies were born; the birth of stars; deep fields, and exoplanets. The JWST will study the atmosphere of exoplanets and investigate if any of them are habitable. The telescope will also throw more light on black holes, she said, adding: “We do not know what is inside black holes.”
In an interaction with the Regional Science Centre at Bhopal, Hasan said the JWST is 10x100 times more powerful than the Hubble Space Telescope. “The size of Hubble’s mirror was 2.4m, while that of the JWST is 6.4m,” Hasan, who has earlier worked at Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Mumbai; had a stint at Pune University and did her PhD from Oxford University, UK, said in an online YouTube meeting.
Following the launch of the Hubble Space Telescope in April 1990, Nasa felt the need for a more powerful space telescope. “After several discussions, it was decided to go for a telescope having infrared capabilities with big mirrors. Eventually, this led to the development of JWST,” Hasan said. Even the blind can experience the images as a Braille facility has been developed, she added.
The design and development of JWST proved an engineering challenge, because it had to be error-free since it is situated so far away that a service mission cannot be sent. “In case of Hubble, a space shuttle repair mission could be sent which is not the case with JWST,” Hasan explained. JWST has been positioned at a point known as L-2 and has to be kept extremely cold. For keeping it at freezing temperatures, it has a sun cover shaped like an umbrella.
Data from the telescope can be accessed by scientists across the globe, she said, adding: “It will inspire youngsters to think big and help them fulfil their dreams.”