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
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Town of Fort Nelson, B.C., ordered to evacuate due to wildfire
The entire town of Fort Nelson, B.C., as well as the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has been ordered to evacuate due to an out-of-control wildfire.
Snowbirds in Vancouver for puck-drop flyby as Canucks face Oilers
The Canadian Forces Snowbirds will be performing a flyover across downtown Vancouver at the start of tonight's Stanley Cup playoff game between the Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Video shows naked raccoon catching B.C. family by surprise
When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.