Telescope (2016): Documentary on the James Webb Space Telescope
For the past 400 years, telescopes have transformed our knowledge of the universe. Each era sees deeper and further than the one before it. We are on the verge of answering some of the most haunting questions. Are we alone in the universe? Are there other Earth-like planets out there?
IN THE BEGINNING:
Since the ancients looked up at the sky, it appeared as though everything revolved around us. Over time, that model got a little complicated. If you observe the planets over weeks and months, they were making little loops, not just going around in beautiful arcs. Copernicus said the model was much simpler with the sun in the middle. Born in 1473, he had no way to prove his theory because he had no way to make the observation. Afraid of clashing with the church and other astronomers, he did not publish his theory until the year he died.
Fifty years later, in 1609, an Italian scientist heard about a Dutch invention that makes objects appear closer. Within a day, Galileo made his own telescope and observed mountains and craters on the moon. He saw the Milky Way as well as Jupiter surrounded by four pinpricks of light. Every night, the pinpricks were changing. He realized these were not stars but moons orbiting Jupiter.
