The Hubble telescope changed the way we look at the universe because we had no idea how vast the universe actually was. We have been able to see fluorescent nebulas to distant exploding galaxies. All the phenomenon that had previously only been discussed on paper was possible to verify with the help of the Hubble telescope.
The Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) is scheduled to launch in mid-2020 and will expand the Hubble’s view. This will allow the largest picture of the universe ever seen with the same depth and clarity as Hubble to be taken. The 300-megapixel instrument of WFIRST will be able to capture the image of an area a hundred times larger than what Hubble is capable of.
David Spergel, co-chair of the WFIRST science working group and the Charles A. Young professor of astronomy at Princeton University made the following statement to give an idea on how this image will be different from the previous ones. “A picture from Hubble is a nice poster on the wall, while a WFIRST image will cover the entire wall of your house.”
This new technology, apart from providing us with beautiful and breathtaking images, will also open new areas of research. We still understand very little of the universe and new technology like this will put the scientists in a better position to understand the mysteries of the cosmos and the big question that space poses.
Unfortunately, we will have to wait a couple of years before we can see that beautiful image.