JWST vs Hubble: What is the Difference?
TL;DR Summary
Both are revolutionary space telescopes, but they see the universe in completely different ways. Here is how JWST and Hubble compare.
A Difference in Vision
The Hubble Space Telescope observes the universe primarily in visible and ultraviolet light. It shows us the cosmos much as our own eyes would see it if they were infinitely more sensitive.
In contrast, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is designed to see in the infrared. Infrared light can pass through dense clouds of cosmic dust that block visible light. This allows JWST to peer into stellar nurseries and see the birth of stars that are hidden from Hubble.
Looking Back in Time
Because the universe is expanding, light from the earliest galaxies is stretched as it travels through space. By the time it reaches Earth, the visible light has been stretched into infrared light—a phenomenon called cosmological redshift. JWSTs infrared sensors allow it to see these ancient galaxies, looking further back in time than Hubble ever could.