NASA's Got A New, Big Telescope. It Could Find Hints Of Life On Far-Flung Planets
A high-tech, five-layer sunshield helps the telescope stay at negative 370 degrees Fahrenheit, so it can detect heat signals from very distant objects. Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems hide caption
A high-tech, five-layer sunshield helps the telescope stay at negative 370 degrees Fahrenheit, so it can detect heat signals from very distant objects.
In December, NASA will launch the most powerful telescope ever put into space. The James Webb Space Telescope will be able to study planets outside our solar system with unparalleled detail — including checking to see if their atmospheres give any indication that a planet is home to life as we know it.
The search for life beyond Earth isn't easy, of course, and this telescope won't be able to offer up rock-solid evidence that aliens are out there. But some researchers say it's possible that this telescope could at least find hints of life on Earth-sized planets that have so far evaded close scrutiny.
