Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes ProCon History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture Money Videos
comparison of the James Webb and Hubble space telescopes
Table of Contents
Introduction References & Edit History
Read Next
In Frankfurt, Germany, a driver uses a car GPS infotainment display system to guide them on a German autobahn. lanes; traffic; navigation; travel; map
How Does GPS Work?
Space race (1957-1969) infographic between United States (U.S.) and Russia. America, Soviet Union, U.S.S.R., space exploration
Timeline of the Space Race, 1957–69
Infinite space background with silhouette of telescope. This image elements furnished by NASA.
Telescopes: Seeing Stars
July, 2006, Launch of Space Shuttle Discovery STS-121. See attached for full caption information.
Will Light-Speed Space Travel Ever Be Possible?
New space race infographic between China, India, and Japan. Asian space race, space exploration
The New Space Race
Discover
Santa Claus flying in his sleigh, christmas, reindeer
Was Santa Claus a Real Person?
Baseball laying in the grass. Homepage blog 2010, arts and entertainment, history and society, sports and games athletics
10 Greatest Baseball Players of All Time
Title: Senate Square, St. Petersburg, December 14, 1825: repression of the troop mutiny - watercolor by Carl Ivanovitch Kollman, 1825 depicts Decembrist uprising clashing with cavalry, with spectators watching. (new style December 26, 1825) Europe. Saint
8 of the Largest Empires in History
A Factory Interior, watercolor, pen and gray ink, graphite, and white goache on wove paper by unknown artist, c. 1871-91; in the Yale Center for British Art. Industrial Revolution England
Inventors and Inventions of the Industrial Revolution
Close up of books. Stack of books, pile of books, literature, reading. Homepage 2010, arts and entertainment, history and society
12 Novels Considered the “Greatest Book Ever Written”
Thanksgiving Turkey with all the sides
Why Do We Eat Turkey on Thanksgiving?
Mayer Amschel Rothschild (1744-1855), founder of the house of Rothschild; lithograph by Friedrich Lieder, c. 1830.
Where Do Anti-Semitic Conspiracy Theories About the Rothschild Family Come From?

comparison of the James Webb and Hubble space telescopes

verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Written by
Rick Livingston
Rick Livingston is the Sr. Director of Media at Encyclopædia Britannica.
Rick Livingston
Fact-checked by
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Article History

The Hubble Space Telescope was launched in 1990 and has a primary mirror 2.4 metres (94 inches) in diameter. One of its most famous photographs is that of the Pillars of Creation, a star-forming region in the Eagle Nebula, 6,500 light-years from Earth. The even larger James Webb Space Telescope was launched in 2021 and has a primary mirror 6.5 metres (21.3 feet) in diameter. It also took a photo of the Pillars of Creation, and the interactive below shows how it revealed the region in even more impressive detail than the Hubble had.

Rick Livingston