1. James Webb Space Telescope & its First Targets.
Finding signs of life on the earth-sized planets of the TRAPPIST-1 system and on Saturn’s moon Enceladus are among the science targets that NASA‘s James Webb space telescope has following its launch and commissioning, mission officials have announced.
These specific observations are part of a program of Guaranteed Time Observations (GTO), which provides dedicated time to the scientists that helped design and build the telescope’s four instruments.
“From the very first galaxies after the Big Bang, to searching for chemical fingerprints of life on Enceladus, Europa, and exoplanets like TRAPPIST-1e, Webb will be looking at some incredible things in our universe,” said Eric Smith, James Webb Space Telescope Director at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
“With over 2,100 initial observations planned, there is no limit to what we might discover with this incredible telescope,” Smith said.