James webb space telescope

With the hubble ultra deep field we have seen images of galaxies as they were 13 billion years ago. The universe is estimated to be 13.7 billion years old. When the James Webb space telescope is launched in 2014 and takes its first infra red ultra deep field images, which will allow us to see even further back in time, do you think we will see right back to the beginning of the universe, maybe even the very edge of the universe and beyond! I bloody hope so :D

Actually, there's a limit to how far back we can look. The surface of last scattering, 400,000 years after the big bang, is the limit - that's when matter was first really forming and the universe become opaque (you can't see back any further). But hopefully JWST will see the first stars forming (and long dead).

The JWST is a state-of-the-art scientific instrument designed to gather new data to support scientific investigations in the field of astronomy. It will be particularly useful in the infra-red. It's larger aperture than the HST will enable it to see much further into space.

Don't let your "feelings" deceive you. Stick to what is known based on hard data. The number of people who have made right-royal fools of themselves because their feelings got the better of them are many.

Some examples (names suppressed to protect the guilty):
1) The earth must be the centre of the solar system
2) Mars must have Martians because we can see the canals they made
3) Planets must move in perfect circles
4) Light must have an aether to travel through
5) Venus must be covered with ice.

"There must be something before the big bang" is pending addition to this list.

Cheers!

As a Goddard employee where the telescope is being built, let it be known that I petitioned hard for it to be renamed the James Woods Telescope.

Definitely, but the sad part is, its' launch was delayed up to 2016, which is sad. =(

I'm guessing we'll see further and clearer back in time, but... never to the beginning of it.