#NASAWebb sees in infrared light — or what we experience as heat. What can infrared vision tell us that visible light cannot?
Tune in for our 4-part answer! Thread
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1. Infrared will allow Webb to peer through the clouds of cosmic dust obscuring distant galaxies, so that it can get a deeper look at star & planet formation.
More: https://jwst.nasa.gov/content/science/birth.html …pic.twitter.com/RbYDoJiRel7 replies 14 retweets 105 likesShow this thread -
2. Due to cosmological redshift, light from the early universe stretches into longer infrared wavelengths as the universe itself expands. Since Webb will see in infrared, it can look ~13.5 billion years back in time at those first stars & galaxies. More: https://jwst.nasa.gov/content/science/firstLight.html …pic.twitter.com/GQIZeUO0MS
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3:
#NASAWebb’s unprecedented infrared sensitivity will help astronomers compare the faintest, earliest galaxies to today's grand spirals and ellipticals, helping us understand how galaxies assemble over billions of years. More: https://jwst.nasa.gov/content/science/galaxies.html …pic.twitter.com/dfWJ1J1oYD2 replies 9 retweets 68 likesShow this thread -
4. How are the building blocks of planets assembled? Can we find a planet with an atmosphere like Earth’s? Many atoms & molecules in the atmospheres of exoplanets have the largest number of spectral features in the infrared part of the spectrum. More: https://jwst.nasa.gov/content/science/origins.html …pic.twitter.com/zTGtcxxWpn
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NASA Webb Telescope Retweeted NASA Webb Telescope
By studying the spectral features (aka spectra), we can learn all kinds of detailed characteristics about exoplanet atmospheres — including their composition, temperature and more!https://twitter.com/NASAWebb/status/1311357168948449281?s=20 …
NASA Webb Telescope added,
NASA Webb TelescopeVerified account @NASAWebbReplying to @JCWarrenAuthor @NASAExoplanets @NASARoman1. We can study exoplanet atmospheres, including their composition, through spectroscopy (see GIF!). For example, we expect to be able to distinguish between rocky planet atmospheres dominated by water vapor, nitrogen (like Earth), or carbon dioxide (like Mars and Venus). pic.twitter.com/4EAlAUirqv1 reply 2 retweets 52 likesShow this thread
NASA Webb Telescope Retweeted NASA Webb Telescope
NASA Webb Telescope added,
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