The James Webb Space Telescope was launched on December 25, 2021. It’s a space telescope developed by NASA, the European Space Agency and the Canadian Agency. Named after James E.Webb, who created Apollo program, this telescope is a replacement for the Hubble Space Telescope, which headed to space in 1990.
Webb is different from Hubble in some ways. It can see infrared light which makes it possible to look through clouds of gas and dust in the universe and explore the very distant galaxies.With a 6.5-meter-wide golden mirror, it can collect more than six times as much light as the Hubble mirror, so it can see tiny objects more clearly. To “see” faint galaxies in infrared light, Webb needs to be extremely cold, or it would only see its own infrared light. Made of a thin plastic, the heat shield is five layers thick, and it keeps the mirror at minus 234°C. Besides, Hubble moves only about 550 km above Earth while Webb orbits the sun, 1.5 million kilometres away from Earth. This lets Webb stay in line with Earth, allowing the moon to protect it from the light and heat of the sun and Earth.
As the most powerful telescope ever made, Webb is a giant step forward in human space exploration. With it, scientists can observe the very distant galaxies to see how the first galaxies forming out of the darkness. By comparing the earliest galaxies with today’s, they may understand how galaxies have changed over time. It’s also possible for them to study the atmospheres of the faraway planets and search for possible signs of life. Above all, seeing through and into clouds of dust also allows them to find out where stars and planetary systems are being born. This is the primary goal of Webb.
Webb is scheduled to work in space for between five and ten years, so it has enough time to send back fascinating data and images and give us a big surprise.
【小题1】Webb is a space telescope that ________.| A．was sent to space in 1990 |
| B．will take the place of Hubble |
| C．was made by NASA alone |
| D．is named after Webb’s creator |
| A．works in higher temperatures |
| B．can look deeper into the universe |
| C．moves closer around the earth |
| D．can see tiny objects as clearly as it |
| A．Looking for life on the faraway planets. |
| B．Studying the formation of the first galaxies. |
| C．Studying new stars and planet formations. |
| D．Finding out the change process of galaxies. |
| A．The Working Time of Space Telescopes |
| B．The Differences between Webb and Hubble |
| C．The Most Powerful Telescope Has Come |
| D．The Discoveries Scientists Have Made with Webb |
