Far and Wide Part 1: Differences

From the creator

The James Webb Space Telescope, which is actively observing the universe from a million miles away, and the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, set to launch in 2026, are NASA's two latest flagship astrophysics observatories. Although both are studying myriad cosmic objects to answer fundamental questions about our universe, they have very different designs and capabilities. The universe is such a vast and complex place that it takes many telescopes with different abilities to thoroughly study it. This four-part video series explores the differences and synergies of Roman and Webb. Webb’s giant mirror, ultracold instruments and infrared vision help it observe the farthest observable reaches of the cosmos. Using its narrow field of view, it can measure distant galaxies and planets outside our solar system with unprecedented detail. Roman has a large field of view and will capture giant, 300-megapixel images, enabling it to survey the sky 1,000 times faster than the Hubble Space Telescope can while maintaining resolution similar to Hubble’s. Roman will also observe regions repeatedly over time, allowing astronomers to see changes and detect transient events like exploding stars and the movement of planets near the center of our galaxy. Learn more at https://science.nasa.gov/roman-and-webb Music credit: “Light Trails,” Max Cameron Concors [ASCAP], Universal Production Music “Relentless Data,” Jay Price [PRS], Universal Production Music Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Cen

Published 2026-01-20 · Watch on YouTube ↗
Availability and playback restrictions are controlled by the original channel.