Austrian Silver-Nobium 2022 coin: “James WEBB” Telescope

The James Webb Space Telescope, the largest, most powerful, and most complex space telescope ever built and launched into space, is designed to help us find answers about the possible existence of extra-terrestrial life. The telescope’s improved wavelength coverage and greater sensitivity than its predecessor, the Hubble, will allow the Webb to observe forming stars and galaxies. This will fundamentally change our understanding of the universe.

Launched into space on December 25, 2021, Webb has been successfully deployed to its operational configuration. It successfully entered orbit at its target destination on January 24, 2022.

Coin specifications

The Webb is depicted in the outer silver ring on the obverse of the coin next to the famous Drake equation, which aims to calculate the probability of extraterrestrial life.

The purple niobium core is dominated by an alien holding the earth in his hands like a toy, symbolizing that we might be defenseless against them if they existed.

In the niobium core on the reverse side of the coin, some of the factors that could support life on other planets are represented such as carbon dioxide, methane, oxygen, vegetation and water. In the outer silver ring, the Webb is shown capturing an exoplanet, passing in front of a star.