Book 8, Question 129
Why Does JWST See in Infrared?
JWST sees in infrared because that light reveals things that our eyes and ordinary cameras miss! Infrared passes through dust clouds that hide baby stars, and it carries stretched light from the very earliest galaxies. Different light means different cosmic secrets, waiting to be found.
More fun facts
- Infrared light is scattered less by dust than visible light, so Webb can peer into dusty clouds where new stars are forming.
- Webb was designed to see the earliest stars and galaxies in the universe.
- Light from the most distant galaxies starts out as ultraviolet but gets stretched into infrared on its long trip, so Webb needs infrared eyes to see it.
- Using infrared, Webb can look farther back in time than earlier telescopes.
- Webb works much farther from Earth than Hubble, which helps it stay extremely cold.
Sources: NASA, NASA Science, NASA Science
Questions kids ask
Can people see infrared light?
No. Our eyes cannot see it, but we can feel some infrared as warmth.