Eyes in the sky

Discovery (2016) The documentary will air on Foxtel’s Discovery Channel on August 28 at 11.30 am.

THIS IS AN AWE- INSPIRING primer on the James Webb Space Telescope and an inspirational journey through the history of space exploration.

Everyone knows our understanding of the Universe has come a long way since astronomers believed Earth was the centre of the Solar System. But Telescope delves into an entertaining selection of tales along the astronomy timeline that got us to where we are now.

You’ll find out why over four tonnes of French wine bottles were smashed to solve the debate over whether our galaxy is alone in the universe. There’s the story of how an observation at the Mount Wilson Observatory uncovered Einstein’s biggest blunder. You’ll also learn what the Hubble Space Telescope discovered after staring into seemingly blank space for 10 days.

The documentary builds to the most ambitious feat in telescope technology ever attempted – the James Webb Space Telescope, Hubble’s successor.

Unlike Hubble, it has the ability to observe infrared light, allowing astronomers to see further than ever. Scientists hope it will spot exoplanets with signatures which may flag life, and bring the evolution of the universe into focus.

But unlike Hubble, this space telescope will be deployed much further from Earth. With no second chance to service the telescope or fix mistakes, the scientists have one shot to get it right.

Telescope explores an uncertainty lingering amongst the scientists alongside their passion, as it goes behind the scenes of the telescope’s construction. After its launch, currently scheduled for October 2018, the James Webb telescope will unfurl in space like giant origami – where, as you can imagine, a lot could go wrong.

But rolling footage of spectacular images collected by Hubble – set to become even more breathtaking through James Webb – are there to remind us why it’s all worth it.