JWST

[Mustafa]

Will the James Webb Space Telescope (NASA's next orbiting observatory and the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope) be able to see clear images of Epsilon Eridani?

[Mustafa]

This question has been answered in Issue #10 by Alison Boyle - curator of Astronomy and Modern Physics from NSM. Alison is responsible for a range of collections spanning most of the space-time continuum. She is currently researching particle accelerators.

Answer:

Epsilon Eridani, a star about 10.5 light years away, is of interest to astronomers because observations show that it is surrounded by discs of debris, similar to what the planets and other bodies around our Sun would have formed from. By studying it we can learn our solar system might have looked like in its early days. There are also indications that there may be one or more planets orbiting the star - if so, these would be the nearest known extrasolar planets to Earth.

The JWST, due to launch in 2014, isn't a like-for-like successor to Hubble, as it will mainly operate in the infrared (Hubble concentrates on visible and ultraviolet wavelengths). Infrared is useful for seeing past obscuring dust clouds and to study planets forming. The telescope should have the capability to detect Jupiter-sized planets fairly far from the star, although it won't be able to see sharp images.

It's not yet decided if the JWST will study Epsilon Eridani - astronomers will have to compete for telescope time. But looking at planetary systems is one of the JWST's priorities, so it's a likely target. Before 2014, the infrared Spitzer Space telescope or a ground-based telescope might shed more light on the Epsilon Eridani system.

- Alison Boyle


I would like to express my gratitude towards Alison for taking time to answered my question. Thank you very much.