Vancouver astronomer gains access to prestigious James Webb Space Telescope for research
It took years and a series of failures before Dr. Jeremy Heyl gained access to space exploration's holy grail.
"We had applied for a bunch of different programs, maybe five or six different ones, and this was the only one that was successful," said Heyl, a professor of physics and astronomy at UBC.
Since the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) launched in December 2021, researchers across North America and Europe have been vying for access to it.
"We received over seven times more requests than we have time for," said Nathalie Ouellette, outreach scientist with JWST Canada.
"So, it's seven to one odds on if someone will get time on it or not."
The $10 billion JWST is considered revolutionary. It can capture images of stars that are thousands of light-years away.
Heyl's project involves observing stars approximately 12,000 light-years away and searching for ancient planetary systems.
"So these stars (that are) like our sun are stars that were born right at the beginning of the universe – close to the beginning of the universe – so it would be really great to know if there were planets forming 10 billion years ago," said Heyl. "Could there have been life in our galaxy like us but five billion years ago? Or more?"
Ouellette tells CTV News that since the telescope has been operational, new research and discoveries have occurred at a rapid pace.
"It's kind of putting into question either our understanding of how galaxies form or maybe even the fundamental laws of physics and how the universe works," said Oullette.
Heyl says his research is far from over. He is expecting to receive new images generated by the telescope in the near future.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.