Uploaded January 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Far and Wide: Roman and Webb's Overlapping Roles in Understanding Our Universe Part 1: Differences
The James Webb Space Telescope, which is actively observing the universe from a million miles away, and the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, set to launch in 2026, are NASA's two latest flagship astrophysics observatories. Although both are studying myriad cosmic objects to answer fundamental questions about our universe, they have very different designs and capabilities. The universe is such a vast and complex place that it takes many telescopes with different abilities to thoroughly study it. This four-part video series explores the differences and synergies of Roman and Webb.
Webb’s giant mirror, ultracold instruments and infrared vision help it observe the farthest observable reaches of the cosmos. Using its narrow field of view, it can measure distant galaxies and planets outside our solar system with unprecedented detail.
Roman has a large field of view and will capture giant, 300-megapixel images, enabling it to survey the sky 1,000 times faster than Hubble can while maintaining resolution similar to the Hubble Space Telescope’s. Roman will also observe regions repeatedly over time, allowing astronomers to see changes and detect transient events like exploding stars and the movement of planets near the center of our galaxy.
Download here: svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14891
Music: “Light Trails,” Max Cameron Concors [ASCAP], Universal Production Music and “Relentless Data,” Jay Price [PRS], Universal Production Music
Credits: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Producer: Scott Wiessinger (eMITS)
Narrator: Barb Mattson (University of Maryland College Park)
Science advisors: Dominic Benford (NASA/HQ), Rob Zellem (NASA/GSFC)
Writer: Scott Wiessinger (eMITS)
Science writers: Ashley Balzer (eMITS), Francis Reddy (University of Maryland College Park), Public affairs officer, Claire Andreoli (NASA/GSFC)
Animators: Adriana Manrique Gutierrez (eMITS), Scott Wiessinger (eMITS), Krystofer Kim (eMITS), Jenny McElligott (Advocates in Manpower Management, Inc.), Jonathan North (eMITS)
Far and Wide: Roman and Webb's Overlapping Roles in Understanding Our Universe Part 1: Differences
The James Webb Space Telescope, which is actively observing the universe from a million miles away, and the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, set to launch in 2026, are NASA's two latest flagship astrophysics observatories. Although both are studying myriad cosmic objects to answer fundamental questions about our universe, they have very different designs and capabilities. The universe is such a vast and complex place that it takes many telescopes with different abilities to thoroughly study it. This four-part video series explores the differences and synergies of Roman and Webb.
Webb’s giant mirror, ultracold instruments and infrared vision help it observe the farthest observable reaches of the cosmos. Using its narrow field of view, it can measure distant galaxies and planets outside our solar system with unprecedented detail.
Roman has a large field of view and will capture giant, 300-megapixel images, enabling it to survey the sky 1,000 times faster than Hubble can while maintaining resolution similar to the Hubble Space Telescope’s. Roman will also observe regions repeatedly over time, allowing astronomers to see changes and detect transient events like exploding stars and the movement of planets near the center of our galaxy.
Download here: svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14891
Music: “Light Trails,” Max Cameron Concors [ASCAP], Universal Production Music and “Relentless Data,” Jay Price [PRS], Universal Production Music
Credits: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Producer: Scott Wiessinger (eMITS)
Narrator: Barb Mattson (University of Maryland College Park)
Science advisors: Dominic Benford (NASA/HQ), Rob Zellem (NASA/GSFC)
Writer: Scott Wiessinger (eMITS)
Science writers: Ashley Balzer (eMITS), Francis Reddy (University of Maryland College Park), Public affairs officer, Claire Andreoli (NASA/GSFC)
Animators: Adriana Manrique Gutierrez (eMITS), Scott Wiessinger (eMITS), Krystofer Kim (eMITS), Jenny McElligott (Advocates in Manpower Management, Inc.), Jonathan North (eMITS)
