James Webb Space Telescope Weekly Schedule Aug 01, 2022 to Aug 08, 2022

August 03, 2022


James Webb Space Telescope is currently in the operations mode. Having awed the world with first set of pictures released on July 12, 2022, James Webb Space Telescope is making some remarkable observations this week. Following are the major objects that James Webb Space Telescope will study this week (Aug 01 to Aug 08, 2022) as per the schedule published here.

Credit: ESO/P. Vernazza et al./MISTRAL algorithm (ONERA/CNRS)

10 Hygiea is a major asteroid and possible dwarf planet located in the main asteroid belt. With a diameter of 434 kilometres (270 mi) and a mass estimated to be 3% of the total mass of the belt, it is the fourth-largest asteroid in the Solar System by both volume and mass. Hygiea satisfies three of the four requirements to be classified as a dwarf planet: it orbits around the Sun, it is not a moon, have enough mass that its own gravity pulls it into a roughly spherical shape but unlike a planet, neighborhood around its orbit is not clear.   James Webb Space Telescope is scheduled to observe 10 Hygeia on Aug 1, 2022. 

Credit: NASA

HD 141569 is an isolated Herbig Ae/Be star of spectral class approximately 320 light-years away in the constellation of Libra. The primary star has two red dwarf companions (orbiting each other) at about nine arcseconds.  A gap in the disk led to speculation about a possible extrasolar planet forming in the disk. James Webb Space Telescope is scheduled to observe HD 141569 on Aug 2, 2022. 

Credit: NASA

NGC 5139 also known as Omega Centauri is a globular cluster in the constellation of Centaurus. Located at a distance of 17,090 light-years, it is the largest-known globular cluster in the Milky Way at a diameter of roughly 150 light-years. It is estimated to contain approximately 10 million stars, and a total mass equivalent to 4 million solar masses, making it the most massive-known globular cluster in the Milky Way. James Webb Space Telescope is scheduled to observe NGC 5139 on Aug 2, 2022. 

Credit: NASA

Ganymede, one of Jupiter's satellite,  is the largest moon in our solar system, even bigger than the planet Mercury, and the dwarf planet Pluto. There’s strong evidence that Ganymede has an underground saltwater ocean that may hold more water than all the water on Earth's surface. Ganymede is the only moon known to have its own magnetic field – something typically found on planets like Earth. The magnetic field causes auroras, or bright ribbons of glowing gas, that circle the moon’s poles. James Webb Space Telescope is scheduled to observe Ganymede on Aug 3, 2022. 

Credit: NASA

The Ring Nebula also known as NGC 6720 is a planetary nebula in the mildly northern constellation of Lyra. Located at a distance of 2,283 light years from earth, it is one of the most famous of all planetary nebulae. Such a nebula is formed when a star, during the last stages of its evolution before becoming a white dwarf, expels a vast luminous envelope of ionized gas into the surrounding interstellar space. James Webb Space Telescope is scheduled to observe Ring Nebula on Aug 4, 2022. 

Credit: NASA

HD 140986 is a Giant Star located in the Milky Way galaxy.  Located at a distance of 746 light years away, this star doesnt have any known exoplanets in orbit around it, there might or might not be any but due to their size compared to the star, they'll be very hard to spot compared to other smaller stars hence none have been spotted around a supergiant. James Webb Space Telescope is scheduled to observe this star on Aug 7, 2022.