"What the JWST has Revealed about the Universe" by Dr. Danny Faulkner

Credit: NASA-GSFC, Adriana M. Gutierrez (CI Lab)

Disclaimer: Let me start off by stating that this article was not written by Dr. Danny Faulkner himself. However, this is a summary, in my own words of course, of what Dr. Faulkner said during his three talks at Midwest Creation Fellowship (MCF), therefore I apologize for any details omitted.

Edit: Here's the video on YouTube that MCF recorded: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbw9h802BgY

"What is the JWST?"

The JWST (short for the James Web Space Telescope) is a Near Infrared (NIR) & Infrared (IR) space telescope. The two most notable features on the telescope are: The mirror(s) and the heat shield.

The mirror

The mirror, which is actually comprised of 18 hexagonal mirrors, is plated in gold, which is perfect for reflecting the infrared spectrum of light. The Apollo 11 Lunar Landing Module actually had gold foil on it so that it didn't burn up on the moon.

The heat shield

So why a heat shield? Well, as was stated above, the JWST images in the infrared part of the spectrum, and infrared is caused by objects emitting heat. Well, therein lies the problem: The sun is a giant furnace! If it wasn't for this heat-reflecting shield, there would be a lot of "noise", or false-positives, coming from the sun's heat. Therefore, they had to devise something that would protect the telescope from the sun's radiation: The heat shield.

Location is everything!

Now, in order for the telescope to be in a stable orbit (meaning that it won't slowly move away to any of the planets/the sun), it must be in one of five points called "Legrange points". The JWST is located at Lagrange point 2, or L2, which is about one million miles away. This position is the sweet spot, since it is on the other side of the earth from the sun, still allowing for quick communications to the telescope.

The "process"

Unlike science-fiction movies, space shuttles (the things that carry space telescopes and satellites) cannot go much further than where the ISS orbits. Therefore the JWST has to be launched from the space shuttle and self-propelled to its final position. However, the telescope is so large that it has to be folded up, which is why the mirror was designed the way it was, in segments. Ever done something where everything has to be just right to get it to work, like a chain reaction? Well, imagine having 178 release mechanisms to work on the first try! If they didn't work then ten billion dollars ($10,000,000,000) would have been wasted!

Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, Joyce Kang (STScI).

"Alright, so why so much fuss?"

The JWST images in the IR part of the electromagnetic spectrum. According to the Big Bang theory, the universe began 13.8 billion years ago, and galaxies should've started forming around 13 billion years ago, leaving ~500 million years of what is known as the "dark age". Because of a phenomenon called "red shift", the visible light from these galaxies are shifted to the IR part of the spectrum, hence why the JWST was made to image the IR.

What the JWST has found so far: Galaxy formation

The JWST has revealed some shocking (to big-bang theorists) discoveries about the formation of galaxies in the early universe. First off, the JWST has found galaxies with ages calculated to be less than 500 million years after the big bang! This of course is highly problematic, as even stars shouldn't have existed at that time! Of course, instead of abandoning their theory, scientists are frantically racing to figure out ways to include galaxies forming at that time.

What the JWST has found so far: Exoplanets

"Ok, so what is an exoplanet?" "The worlds orbiting other stars are called “exoplanets,”". Or, in other words, any planet that orbits another star (other than the sun) is an exoplanet. These planets fascinate evolutionists with the "possible" chance of finding life on one of them. What does the JWST have to do with this? Well, (in the atheists perspective) in order for life to form you first have to have a habitable planet, which means that the atmosphere and the distance from its star are just right (not to mention star type, number of stars, etc.). The distance from the star is actually calculable by determining its "period" and the change in brightness when it passes in front of its star. The atmosphere is calculated by measuring the spectrum of just the star, and then measuring the spectrum of the image when the planet is passing in front of the star. The second spectrum is subtracted from the first spectrum, giving the spectrum of the planet.

Now, I know that was a lot of explanation, so what's the purpose of me saying all of that? Well, the best spectrum of light to calculate the atmospheres of planets is the infrared. Not only does the JWST image galaxies, but it doubles as one of the best ways to determine the atmospheres of exoplanets. One would guess that with all of the known exoplanets (about 6,000) at least one would have an atmosphere suitable for life, right? Well, it hasn't, in fact it seems to have proven that we are indeed alone in the universe.

The purpose

So what is the purpose of the JWST? To, ultimately, discredit the Bible and prove the big bang theory. But what has actually happened? They found galaxies "older" than they should be, and no exoplanets with an atmosphere suitable for life! We have an amazing Creator Whose Word is true: infallible, inherent, and authoritative. And He will not give up His throne to men! What an amazing Father we have!