9 Breakthroughs by the James Webb Space Telescope

In 2021, NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) took a monumental leap forward in the quest to understand the universe. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) launch was an awe-inspiring global event and a symbol of the new space exploration and discovery era.

Often regarded as the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, the JWST offers groundbreaking technological advancements enabling it to explore the cosmos more deeply than ever. With advanced instruments and state-of-the-art sensors and mirrors, it captures stunningly detailed images and spectra of distant celestial objects. Since its launch, the JWST has made groundbreaking discoveries that have significantly broadened our understanding of the cosmos.

1. Detection of Water on Exoplanets

The James Webb Space Telescope transforms our understanding of exoplanets, especially in the search for water. This groundbreaking potential comes from several unique features of the telescope:

• Its Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) is highly sensitive to the infrared signatures of water molecules, allowing it to detect water vapor in the atmospheres of exoplanets and protoplanetary disks where planets are forming.
• Spectroscopy instruments split light into wavelengths to identify specific molecules, such as water, based on their unique spectral signatures.
• It can see a wide range of infrared wavelengths, which lets it spot different forms of water — vapor, ice, or liquid — under various conditions.
• Infrared capabilities enable it to create temperature maps of exoplanets, helping to identify potential liquid water oceans based on temperature patterns.

While directly imaging oceans on exoplanets is currently not possible, there is hope that the JWST could detect and map water features on these planets in the future.

2. First Images of Newly Forming Planets

The JWST is poised to transform our understanding of planetary formation by capturing unprecedented images of planets as they form. Its infrared instruments penetrate dense dust clouds, enabling astronomers to observe planet-forming regions directly. This is crucial for studying protoplanetary disks, the birthplaces of planets, and revealing intricate structures like rings and gaps indicating ongoing planet formation.

JWST's high resolution and advanced optics can differentiate faint protoplanets from the glare of their host stars, unveiling young planets in their formative stages. The telescope's spectrographic abilities boost its observational power, aiding scientists in studying the chemical makeup of protoplanetary disks. This analysis reveals planet formation components and necessary conditions.

By studying the flow of gas and dust in these disks, JWST can track how material moves from the outer regions to the inner areas where planets form, providing a clear understanding of the dynamics involved in planet formation. Additionally, JWST's ability to observe planetary systems at different evolutionary stages — from young protostellar envelopes to more mature systems — offers a complete picture of the planet formation process.

3. Confirmation of Proxima Centauri b

Discovered in 2016, Proxima Centauri b has been a constant scientific fascination. Although JWST hasn't taken direct images of this planet, its powerful infrared technology gives us better information about its atmosphere and habitability. By examining the light coming from the planet, JWST can identify important molecules like water vapor, carbon dioxide, and methane. These molecules are crucial to determining whether the planet could support life.

JWST's advanced technology also allows it to separate the faint light of Proxima Centauri b from the bright light of its star. This is crucial for studying the planet without interference from its star. Additionally, infrared observations can penetrate dust clouds to reveal cooler objects, essential for examining planets. By analyzing temperature and atmosphere, JWST helps determine if this nearby world could be habitable.

4. Uncovering Secrets of Jupiter's Moons

The JWST is changing how we understand Jupiter's moons, particularly Europa, by discovering carbon-based compounds and providing new insights into their potential to support life. Its infrared technology allows detailed analysis of Europa's surface, helping identify molecules like carbon dioxide.

Scientists have detected carbon dioxide in a young area of Europa called Tara Regio, known for its disrupted ice. This suggests that the carbon dioxide originates from Europa's subsurface ocean, indicating a material exchange between the surface and the ocean. Finding carbon in Europa's ocean suggests that life-supporting processes might exist.

Along with earlier discoveries of ocean-derived salt, Europa is a prime candidate for the search for extraterrestrial life in our solar system. Future missions, such as the ESA's Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) and NASA's Europa Clipper, will further investigate Europa's habitability.

5. Mapping the Surface of Titan

JWST's Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) takes high-resolution images of Titan's surface, revealing geological features like dune fields and hydrocarbon seas in great detail. This helps scientists create more accurate maps of Titan, improving our understanding of the moon's geology. Additionally, JWST's Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) offers essential data on Titan's atmosphere and surface composition and potential for habitability.

JWST helps scientists track changes in Titan's atmosphere and surface over time, including the formation and movement of methane clouds. This information is essential for understanding Titan's weather patterns and seasonal changes. Observations from JWST build on data from missions like Cassini-Huygens and will support future missions and scientific trailblazers, including NASA's Dragonfly.

6. Uncovering the Secrets of Black Holes

JWST is also unearthing unprecedentedly detailed insights into black holes, revealing new insights into their formation and the growth of galaxies. JWST can see once-hidden galactic centers, uncovering unknown structures around black holes.

Other ways JWST is used to study black holes include:

• Observing distant quasars, providing insights into early black hole formation.
• Looking into how energy and material from active black holes impact their host galaxies.
• Using its observations to help refine techniques for estimating black hole masses crucial for understanding their growth and influence.

Scientists can refine black hole formation models and theories with this new information.

7. Observing Distant Galaxies

JWST is bridging the knowledge gap between the early universe and our current one by allowing scientists to study some of the oldest and most distant galaxies. Its large mirror and advanced infrared tools detect very faint light from galaxies lightyears away. This light — shifted to the infrared spectrum because of cosmic expansion — enables JWST to observe galaxies that formed shortly after the Big Bang.

The NIRCam captures images of distant galaxies, revealing new detailed structures and features, while the NIRSpec provides spectral data that allows scientists to analyze the composition and properties of early galaxies, including key elements like oxygen.

By setting new records for observing the most distant known galaxies, such as JADES-GS-z14-0, observed just 290 million years after the Big Bang, JWST's capabilities are helping astronomers paint a more complete picture of early cosmic evolution.

8. Studying Stellar Birthplaces

JWST's NIRCam takes high-res images that reveal detailed features of star-forming regions, while the NIRSpec collects spectral data to analyze the composition of gas and dust. By examining protoplanetary disks around young stars, JWST provides insights into how planets form and how stellar winds influence their surroundings. These observations help scientists track the lifecycle of star formation, from young protostars to mature systems.

JWST also detects faint light from distant stellar nurseries, broadening our observational reach. By studying nurseries at different stages, JWST helps piece together the complete picture of how stars and planets form, potentially leading to groundbreaking discoveries about the origins of solar systems like ours.

9. Understanding the Big Bang

Finally, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is set to deepen our understanding of the Big Bang and the early universe:

• It can observe infrared light from the universe's earliest luminous objects, formed around 13.5 billion years ago. It sees through cosmic dust to uncover hidden star and galaxy formation and detect faint signals from the early universe.
• It will investigate the epoch of reionization, a billion years after the Big Bang when the first stars reionized neutral hydrogen, transitioning the universe from opaque to transparent.
• JWST's spectrographs analyze the chemical composition of early galaxies and stars, providing insights into cosmic chemistry and evolution. This data complements other telescopes' observations, offering a comprehensive view of galaxy evolution.

JWST can explore the universe's origins and the evolution of the complex cosmos we see today. With data on these early epochs, astronomers can refine their understanding of the history of the universe.