The Next Generation of Deep-Space TelescopesWith Hubble now approaching the end of its scientific life, we take a look at the most exciting prospects of future deep space telescopes.
As we bid farewell to Hubble, a new era of space exploration is on the horizon. The upcoming missions hold the promise of revolutionizing our perception of the Universe. This article delves into the most intriguing aspects of these missions, providing easily digestible explanations that will leave you eagerly anticipating the future of space exploration.
Since its launch in 1990, the Hubble Space Telescope has not only provided us with some of the most breathtaking views of our Galaxy but also conducted groundbreaking scientific research. In 2015, Hubble embarked on its final servicing mission and is expected to conclude its scientific journey in 2020. During its operational years, Hubble has unveiled new star-forming regions within the Pillars of Creation, discovered previously unknown galaxies in the Ultra Deep Field, and captured the most detailed image of the entire Crab Nebula. These achievements are a testament to Hubble's invaluable contributions to our understanding of the Universe, leaving us in awe of what the next generation of space telescopes will reveal.
Gaia - Global Astrometric Interferometer for Astrophysics
Gaia is an ambitious project to chart a 3-dimensional map of our Galaxy, the Milky Way, in the procedure revealing the composition, formation and evolution of the Galaxy. Gaia will supply unheard-of positional and radial velocity measurements with the accuracy needed to produce a stereoscopic and kinematic census of about a billion stars in our Galaxy and through the Local Group. While this sounds great, it amounts to about 1% of the Galactic stellar population.
While surveying the positions of over a billion stars, ESA's Gaia project also measures their colour, a key diagnostic to study the physical properties of stars.
Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope
The Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) is a long-term infrared space observatory planned for the mid-2020s. WFIRST is based on a current 2.4m wide field-of-view telescope and can carry two scientific instruments. The Wide-Field Instrument is a 288-megapixel multi-band near-infrared camera, offering a sharpness of images that the Hubble Space Telescope accomplished over 100 times the area. The Coronagraphic Instrument is a contrast small field of view digital camera and spectrometer covering visual and near-infrared wavelengths using novel starlight-suppression technology.
James Webb Space Telescope
James Webb Space Telescope is a space telescope that is part of NASA's Next Generation Space Telescope program, which is scheduled to launch in October 2018. It features a large infrared telescope with a 6.5-meter primary mirror and would be the premier observatory of the following decade, serving thousands of astronomers worldwide. It will learn about every phase in the history of our Universe, starting from the first luminous glows after the Big Bang to the formation of solar systems capable of supporting life on planets like Earth to the evolution of our own Solar System.
