The super-sensitive JUST telescope may uncover the secrets hidden within exoplanets.
We’ve been staring and searching into deep space to find any signs of life. But we only got fragments of whatever truth lies out there.
China’s Jiaotong University Spectroscopic Telescope aims to change that. Rather than just looking, the JUST telescope will understand what’s out there.
JUST isn’t just a telescope because it has a 4.4-meter large aperture to quickly switch between targets and capture nearly every moment in the observable universe. But unlike some ground telescopes, this one is super sensitive with its spectrometer that can unveil secrets of distant objects.
JUST works like a detector. It will scan for fingerprints, footprints, signatures, and whatnot to show the compositions of celestial matter.
Don’t we have JWST already? JUST’s capabilities may work better on exoplanets in determining what’s on their surface or even below it. But the two may work together to solve the numerous mysteries of our universe, for a steep price in engineering and maintenance.
However, these two might get us knowledge that could lead us to some sci-fi breakthroughs like new medicines, out-of-this-world materials, and more.
JUST will be gazing at the cosmos in 2026.
