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James Webb Space Telescope and Modern Astronomy

This concise guide on the James Webb Space Telescope describes our most powerful modern space observatory’s place in an exciting new era of astronomy.The Webb telescope is the largest, most technically advanced and most expensive space observatory to date. Development began in 1996 for a launch initially planned for 2007 with a US$500 million budget. Finally launched in December 2021, the telescope was 14 years behind schedule and 20 times over budget. Such was the price of the next major step in astronomy and physics.Written to be accessible to all readers, the book describes Webb’s special location in space, high-tech structure, unprecedented components and the mission. The text also briefly covers all the relevant basics of astronomy, physics and telescope science, as well as the greatest achievements of the previous generation of our greatest telescopes, to provide a systematic understanding of why there was a need for a new infrared telescope and its potential for deepening human scientific knowledge.The knowledge provided by this book will make it easier to comprehend regular news in the media on Webb’s results, as well as more detailed and complex scientific information that the reader may come across about the telescope in particular, as well as about the field of astronomy in general.Welcome to the Webb era of discovery.Read more

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