From Galileo to the James Webb Space Telescope: Can We Assimilate the Infinity of the Universe?

How far could Galileo see and what can we see today? Will James Webb’s observations change the universe again, as Galileo’s observations did?

Discover for the first time the wonders of the solar system

With just two simple lenses and inspired by an instrument created by the Dutch optician Hans Lippershey, Galileo Galilei assembled his first telescope in 1609. After several prototypes, he managed to achieve a 20x magnification with a telescope 1.27 meters long. With it, he was able to observe in detail the Moon, the four largest moons of Jupiter (Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callistus), which we know today as the satellites of Galileo, sunspots and the constellation of Orion, among other celestial objects. If Galileo discovered satellites orbiting planets in the solar system, then for the James Webb telescope, the solar system remains small, and he manages to extract data on the composition of the atmosphere of an exoplanet located almost 1150 light years from Earth.

The moon is imperfect, but the sun has spots

The teachings of Aristotle dictated the existence of two spheres: the sublunar, where the Earth is, perishable and changing, and the supralunar, where the Moon, the Sun and the stars are, perfect and unperturbed. Aristotle’s theory lasted nearly two millennia and became the basis of prevailing religious thought: the immaculate stars were God’s creations. But in 1610, an event occurred that changed the idea of ​​​​the universe that dominated before. Galileo, thanks to his telescopes, was able to observe the vault of heaven in a way that no one had done before him, asking Aristotle himself. He observed the lunar phases in detail, making sure that the Moon is not a perfect sphere, but has craters and mountains, like the Earth. He could also observe the Sun using sunrises and sunsets and detect dynamic and changing sunspots.

The sun became the center of the universe

In addition to the Sun and Moon, Galileo could observe other stars such as the planet Venus, which he found also had phases very similar to those of the Moon. This discovery led him to consider the theory of the Prussian astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus, according to which the Sun was the center of the universe, and not the Earth, as the teachings of Ptolemy, established 15 centuries ago, claimed.

Galileo became an active supporter and propagandist of heliocentrism, which he himself demonstrated experimentally by studying the orbits of some planets and the phases of Venus. Today we know that the Sun is only the center of the solar system among billions of systems like ours.

The heliocentric theory greatly simplified the orbits of celestial objects, but these empirical discoveries were not well received by the Holy See, who ultimately sentenced Galileo to life imprisonment and publicly refused to proclaim and teach his disciples. One of the most passionate legends in the history of astronomy relates that as soon as he recanted, he kicked the ground and exclaimed: E pur si muove (and yet it moves), referring to the Earth.

James Webb Space Telescope: Infinity of the Deep Universe

Over four centuries later, science and technology have advanced to the point where the most powerful James Webb telescope ever built has been built and sent into space. The main task of the macro space giant is to observe the formation of the first galaxies, stars and planets, etc., milestones that until now have been beyond the reach of any man-made instrument.

James Webb has a primary mirror with a diameter of 6.5 meters, which provides an angular resolution of 2.25 10-7 radians, which is equivalent to distinguishing millimeter divisions of a ruler located at a distance of 4.44 km. In addition, unlike its predecessor, the Hubble Space Telescope, James Webb operates at longer wavelengths (towards infrared), which makes it possible to observe and study very old and very distant objects at high redshift, without the interference of interstellar dust. . in pictures taken by Hubble.

The first pictures shown by NASA left no one indifferent. In them, we can observe a region of space that belongs to deep space, never seen with such high resolution, where we can observe galaxies and stars that, when they emitted the light that reaches us today, were at a distance of 13.5 billion light years. or the Carina Nebula, which looks brighter than ever compared to the Hubble image.

Explain the origin of the universe and find life on other planets

Observing the early universe, the formation of galaxies, stars, planets and their destruction will help explain such phenomena as the postulated but not yet fully demonstrated cosmic reionization, or how the period of cosmic inflation (exponential expansion) occurred in the initial period. stage of the universe. This information could explain how the observed was formed, what happened a few moments after the Big Bang, how everything began to exist.

James Webb has also allowed us to observe thousands of galaxies, other galaxies increasingly receding from us in space and time, and nests of stars, countless suns.

James Webb’s finding of a chemical trace of planets in other solar systems, and there are thousands of them, could find a definitive sign of life beyond the tiny solar system in which we move. Life on other planets, in the distant past of space. How will society perceive this new knowledge? What will they mean for the people of the future? Will we be ready?

The first images of James Webb are the beginning of a new era, and we have the privilege of living in it, feeling a little Galileo.

Francisco José Torcal Milla, professor. Department of Applied Physics, University of Zaragoza

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original.

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