Earlier this year, the new Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile officially began scientific operations, becoming the world’s largest and most advanced ground-based telescope. Featuring an eight-meter primary mirror and the world’s largest camera, Rubin promises to deliver exceptional new results and astrophysical research opportunities for scientists worldwide.
Meanwhile, situated at the L2 Lagrange point is the world’s newest and most advanced space telescope — the James Webb Space Telescope. Since becoming operational in July 2022, Webb has revolutionized astronomy with its unprecedented views of the universe and its ability to see back in time using its impressive suite of infrared instruments.
Both telescopes represent different technological solutions to mapping and analyzing the cosmos, and together they are poised to reveal untold information about our universe. However, besides the differences in their locations (ground-based versus space-based), how similar are these two physics and engineering masterpieces?