Ana Inés Gómez de Castro
Professor of Astrophysics and Director of the Space Astronomy Group at the Complutense University of Madrid
The James Webb Space Telescope, or JWST, has opened a new horizon for space astronomy and research into the universe. The six-metre diameter of its main mirror gives it extraordinary sensitivity and represents a technological milestone of the first magnitude. JWST has paved the way for the development of large optical structures in space such as the Large Ultraviolet Optical Infrared Explorer (LUVEX) that will characterise the atmospheres of Earth-like planets in other planetary systems. It certainly deserves its selection as "Breakthrough of the Year 2022" by Science magazine.
JWST is a NASA-led project in which the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency also participate. In its first six months of life, it has obtained impressive results on the formation of stars in the early epochs of the universe, the structure of galaxies and their interaction with the intergalactic medium. JWST has made measurements of metal abundances on gas giant planets in other planetary systems and contributed to our understanding of the chemistry of the interstellar medium and protoplanetary discs.