James Webb vs Hubble: NASA 's space telescopes have provided us with significant scientific insights. The newest and most powerful telescope designed to date, the James Webb Space Telescope , is the successor to the equally iconic Hubble and has already impressed us with the first images released this week. But let's take a look at the images sent back by Hubble and James Webb to understand how advanced the new telescope is.
The James Webb Telescope was launched into space in December 2021, and the images it has taken are the highest-resolution images we've ever taken of the universe, according to NASA. Using powerful technology, the new telescope reveals details we've never seen before, such as gas and dust around stars. With the ability to see very deep into space, Webb will help scientists study the formation of the universe's early galaxies, the development of solar system, and the possibility of life on other planets.
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Hubble has done a great job so far, but Webb is even better thanks to new technologies. The most distant observation Hubble has made to date is of the galaxy GN-z11, about 13.4 billion light-years from Earth. Since its first launch in 1990, the telescope has mapped the evolution of galaxies, discovered moons around Pluto, confirmed the existence of black holes at the cores of galaxies, and much more.
NASA will keep both telescopes operating simultaneously to gain a more comprehensive view and understanding of our universe.
James Webb vs Hubble
But let's now look at the images from Hubble and NASA's James Webb Space to understand the greatness of the new space telescope.
Galaxy cluster SMACS 0723
Thousands of galaxies make up this cluster in the distant universe, 4.6 billion light-years away. The Hubble composite image took weeks to obtain, while Webb's took just 12.5 hours, according to NASA.
Southern Ring Nebula
This giant cloud of dust and gas (nebula) ejected by dying stars is about 2,500 light-years away. The James Webb telescope revealed for the first time that the faintest star at the center is covered in dust.
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Stephan's Quintet
This image shows five galaxies located 40 to 290 million light-years away. It is the largest image from Webb yet. Webb's composite, made up of nearly 1,000 separate files , reveals new details of the galaxies' interactions.
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Carina Nebula
In this image, the edge of a star-forming region called NGC 3324 in the Carina Nebula, about 7,500 light-years away, is visible. Webb's image "reveals previously unseen regions of star birth for the first time," NASA said.
Source: abcnews.go.com
