INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Welcome to the Tuesday Telescope
wonder.Was the James Webb Space Telescope worth it?Well, $10 billion is a lot of money
Even when spread over a couple of decades, that's still a huge chunk of NASA's annual science budget
(And given the recent Trump administration attack on NASA's science budget, money is about to get a whole lot tighter.)However, it is
difficult to put a price on advancing our species' understanding of the natural world and the wide Universe we're swimming in
And Webb is doing an amazing job of that.In 2009, NASA launched the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, or WISE, mission to make infrared
This was the latest in a line of space-based infrared observatories, and it cost about 3 percent as much as the Webb telescope.
Two infrared views of NGC 1514
NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, NASA-JPL, Caltech, UCLA, Michael Ressler (NASA-JPL), Dave Jones (IAC)
Two infrared views of NGC 1514
NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, NASA-JPL, Caltech, UCLA, Michael Ressler (NASA-JPL), Dave Jones (IAC)
Today's photo concerns the
planetary nebula NGC 1514
In 2010, using the WISE telescope, NASA project scientist Mike Ressler discovered "rings" around the planetary nebula
And, oh my, they're spectacular.The clarity in the Webb photo, compared to what came before, is remarkable
So, is seeing the Universe in a new light worth $10 billion? I certainly think so, but I'm writing a weekly story called the Tuesday
Telescope, so it's safe to say I am biased.Source: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Michael Ressler (NASA-JPL), Dave Jones (IAC)Do you want to submit
