The James Webb Space Telescope is a space observatory to see the universe farther than ever before. It is designed to answer outstanding questions about the universe and to discover breakthroughs in all fields of astronomy. Webb will observe the universe’s first galaxies, reveal the birth of stars and planets, and search for exoplanets with the potential for life. Closer to home, Webb will also view our own solar system in new light. Credit: ESA / ATG medialab
The General Observer scientific observations for the NASA/ ESA / CSA James Webb Space Telescope‘s first year of operation has been selected. Proposals from ESA member countries account for 33% of the total number of selected proposals and correspond to 30% of the available telescope time on Webb.
The NASA / ESA / CSA James Webb Space Telescope will be the world’s leading space science observatory when it launches later this year. Webb will solve mysteries about our solar system, look at distant worlds around other stars and explore the mysterious structures and origins of our universe. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).
Mission officials from Webb announced the selection of the General Observer programs for the first year of the telescope, known as Cycle 1. These specific programs will provide the astronomical community worldwide with their first extensive opportunity to explore scientific targets with Webb. The selected proposals address a wide range of science areas and will help fulfill ESA’s overarching mission to advance our understanding of the universe and our place in it.
General observers’ time with Webb is extremely competitive. As a result, the choice of a proposal is strict. Members of the astronomical community have been appointed to various panels dealing with broad scientific topics. Of these, 52 were from ESA member countries. The panels virtually met due to the COVID-19 pandemic, members spent countless hours reading and evaluating the proposals over the course of three weeks.
A total of 1172 proposals were received before the deadline. Scientists from 44 countries have applied for a portion of the 6,000 observation hours made available. This represents approximately two-thirds of all cycle 1 observation time, the remainder of which is allocated to the early release of science and guaranteed time (GTO) programs. Of the 266 selected observation proposals, 33% are from ESA member countries, corresponding to 30% of the available telescope time on Webb during the first cycle. Furthermore, 41% of the selected proposals will mainly use WebB’s NIRSpec tool and 28% will mainly use the MIRI tool.
‘We celebrate the very successful partnership between the European Space Agency and our colleagues at NASA and CSA. We look forward to the beautiful images and spectra and the amazing discoveries that Webb will make in this first year of observations, ”said Günther Hasinger, Director of Science at ESA.
“At ESA, we are delighted to see the great involvement and fantastic success of the European astronomical community in gaining precious observation time for this extraordinary mission, the James Webb Space Telescope,” said Antonella Nota, ESA Head of the Space Telescope Office . Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, USA.
ESA provided two instruments to the James Webb Space Telescope mission. It includes the entire NIRSpec instrument, a near-infrared spectrograph that enables large spectroscopic recordings of astronomical objects such as stars or galaxies. ESA also owns a 50% stake in the MIRI instrument, the only instrument on the telescope that can operate at mid-infrared wavelengths. The telescope will launch on an Ariane 5 rocket from the European Space Port in French Guiana.
The full list of General Observer programs is available here.