Democratic Underground - Visible makes for interesting screensavers, but IR is better science

Reply #37: Visible makes for interesting screensavers, but IR is better science [View All]

Xithras

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Mon Mar-15-04 04:54 PM
Response to Reply #27

37. Visible makes for interesting screensavers, but IR is better science

Two points:

1) I would HOPE that you'd agree that the point of launching these scopes is to improve science, not to provide us with pretty pictures. Spitzer is already providing us with great science in the IR range, and Webb will push our visible boundaries quite literally to the edge of the universe.

2) JWST is a near infrared scope and is quite capable of taking spectacular 3 color images. Check out: http://www.jwst.nasa.gov/science/NGC891.html That image was taken using one of JWST's detectors coupled to a scope here on Earth. It's a pretty picture, but it will be stunning when coupled to the actual JWST mirror in space. The pretty pictures won't end with Hubble.

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Reply #37: Visible makes for interesting screensavers, but IR is better science [View All]