Carla Arce-Tord: “With the James Webb telescope we are going to see the furthest thing from the universe” | INTERVIEW

The Peruvian scientist – known on social media as AstroCarla – explains to El Comercio the importance of launching the James Webb space telescope and why you should continue to invest in science.

“Why is this important launch?

To observe the farthest, oldest and smallest sources in the universe, we need increasingly powerful and highly sensitive technology. The Earth’s atmosphere is an obstacle for observations of the universe, since they require high sensitivity, and sending telescopes into space is a great advance. But it’s not enough:

“Is that why Hubble was so important?”

Hubble, launched in 1990, was and still is a turning point in astrophysics. But now the James Webb will take over with all the technological improvements: a larger main reflector with higher sensitivity, a larger field of view and the best resolution to date, capable of observing the smallest and most distant objects in the universe. If Hubble is able to observe the first galaxies in formation,. We are going to look as far out into the universe as we are capable of to date.

– What do you say to those who point out that what is invested in these projects could be used for other things?

Part of our advancement and future survival as a species is directly linked to understanding the universe. Not only would it be potentially dangerous, but it is not in our nature as explorers. Furthermore, the generation of knowledge and the development of new technologies for the study of natural sciences lay the foundations for applied sciences, technology and innovation.

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