Hubble Space Telescope vs James Webb Space Telescope
Are you lost in space trying to decide which telescope to use? Fear not, we've got you covered. In this post, we will compare the two most famous space telescopes - the Hubble and the James Webb.
Hubble Space Telescope
The Hubble Space Telescope is a flagship mission of NASA that was launched into orbit in 1990. It has revolutionized our understanding of the universe and provided us with breathtaking images of galaxies, nebulae, and other celestial objects. Some interesting facts about the Hubble telescope are:
- Cost: $2.5 billion
- Weight: 11,110 kilograms
- Diameter of primary mirror: 2.4 meters
- Field of View: 0.1 square degrees
- Lifetime: 31 years and counting
- Orbit: Altitude of 547 kilometers above Earth's surface
James Webb Space Telescope
The James Webb Space Telescope is the successor to the Hubble telescope and is scheduled to be launched in 2021. It is named after James E. Webb, who was a prominent figure in the Apollo program. Some interesting facts about the James Webb telescope are:
- Cost: $10 billion
- Weight: 6,500 kilograms
- Diameter of primary mirror: 6.5 meters
- Field of View: 0.2 square degrees
- Lifetime: Expected to last for 10 years
- Orbit: Altitude of 1.5 million kilometers from Earth's surface
Comparison
| Feature | Hubble | James Webb |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | $2.5 billion | $10 billion |
| Weight | 11,110 kg | 6,500 kg |
| Diameter of primary mirror | 2.4 meters | 6.5 meters |
| Field of View | 0.1 sq. degrees | 0.2 sq. degrees |
| Lifetime | 31 years | 10 years |
| Orbit | 547 km altitude | 1.5 million km altitude |
As we can see, the James Webb telescope is more advanced and sophisticated than the Hubble telescope. It is equipped with a larger primary mirror that enables it to capture sharper and clearer images of galaxies and other celestial objects. Additionally, its location in space allows it to observe the early universe and study the formation of stars and galaxies.
However, the Hubble telescope still holds a special place in the history of astronomy and has made significant contributions to our understanding of the universe. It has captured some of the most iconic images of space, such as the Pillars of Creation, the Whirlpool galaxy, and the Sombrero galaxy.