The groundbreaking James Webb Space Telescope, scheduled for launch in 2013, will likely be a boon to astronomers of all persuasions, including planet hunters. The 6.5 meter telescope, which is optimized to observe infrared light, will be positioned in an orbit nearly one million miles away from the Earth, four times the distance from the Earth to the moon.

The sensitive instruments on JWST will be able to obtain infrared images of giant planets and planetary systems and characterize their ages and masses by measuring their spectra. The JWST will also be able to measure spectra of the disks around other stars to determine the constituents of such disks that give rise to planetary systems. With its ultra-sensitive instruments and large mirror, JWST will be able to observe the dusty disks where planets are born, as well as the atmospheric composition of planets that pass in front of their stars. Though it's not specifically a planet-finding telescope, the advanced capabilities of JWST promise to make it an important tool in the future as astronomers study new planets and try to understand how our own solar system formed and evolved.

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