NASA’s Webb to Study Quasars

Courtesy of NASA

The James Webb Telescope will be taking on a new challenge on its journey to study quasar galaxies. A quasar is an extremely luminous galactic nucleus with a massive black hole millions to billions times larger than the Sun. This study’s purpose is to examine the light within the quasar and its host galaxy. Researchers at Heidelberg University in Germany plan to use 3-D techniques to measure the quasar and host galaxies’ data. 

About 20 years ago, scientists hypothesized that quasars were responsible for a galaxy’s limited growth because they are also accompanied by massive black holes. The 3D technology will be used for this endeavor will allow scientists to use different wavelengths to measure gas readings and dust, which can be mapped. Also, they wish to study the nonsymmetric winds using imaging spectroscopy. Interestingly, the quasar’s gas flow is flowing out and not around the galaxy center of gravity ring. Scientists hope to discover more about what exactly makes up the contents of the quasar’s core. The James Webb Telescope can break down light into its primary colors, red, green, and blue — in the same way as a television screen. Scientists can break it down even further into smaller variants of colors.  

It is hoped that the techniques used in this study can be used in the future of James Webb’s missions. The launch of James Webb is currently set for 2021, and it is expected to be the premier space science observatory to the world. This test will be a hopeful leap forward in better understanding the mysteries of space.

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