The American space agency has achieved a major milestone in its preparation of the new James Webb Space Telescope. James Webb telescope mirror alignments has been finished, and the results are exceeding expectations. Still some work to go before actual science operation can start.
NASA’s Webb Reaches Alignment Milestone, Optics Working Successfully
https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-s-webb-reaches-alignment-milestone-optics-working-successfully
James Webb: ‘Fully focused’ telescope beats expectations
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-60771210
9 Comments
Tomi Engdahl says:
The James Webb Space Telescope mirrors are aligned! LIVE
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1nOX66G5q9E&feature=youtu.be
Tomi Engdahl says:
NASA’s Webb Reaches Alignment Milestone, Optics Working Successfully
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MiGx8xv6xjE
Tomi Engdahl says:
Lots of misinformation appearing in threads about JWST field of view and scale of images etc compared to Hubble. Here is a link to the JWST user guide.
https://jwst-docs.stsci.edu/jwst-observatory-characteristics/jwst-field-of-view
Tomi Engdahl says:
Wondering About the 6 Rays Coming out of JWST’s Test Image? Here’s why They Happen
https://jwst-docs.stsci.edu/jwst-observatory-characteristics/jwst-field-of-view
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.universetoday.com/155022/esas-gaia-just-took-a-picture-of-l2-neighbor-jwst/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.universetoday.com/155062/wondering-about-the-6-rays-coming-out-of-jwsts-test-image-heres-why-they-happen/
Tomi Engdahl says:
So far, the JWST images that have been released have been for alignment, test and calibration purposes. This is expected to continue until the end of June, when the observatory is scheduled to become scientifically operational. Soon after that, hopefully we’ll get to see more visually spectacular photos which more fully demonstrate to the wider public the spacecraft’s abilities. However, what those first targets will be is still being kept a closely held secret.
James Webb Space Telescope’s 1st science targets remain super secret as observatory settles in
By Tereza Pultarova published 2 days ago
But we know some of the later ones!
https://www.space.com/james-webb-space-telescope-first-science-observations-secret
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2022/05/05/about-as-cold-as-it-gets-the-webb-telescopes-cryocooler/
Tomi Engdahl says:
THE JAMES WEBB WAS STRUCK BY A SMALL METEOROID, NASA SAYS
https://futurism.com/the-byte/james-webb-small-meteoroid-nasa?utm_campaign=trueanthem_manual&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook
NASA’s ultra expensive James Webb Space Telescope has already had to endure a dust-sized micrometeoroid impacting with one of its primary mirror segments, roughly a month before the official start of scientific operations.
Fortunately, engineers knew that was going to happen. They designed the telescope’s massive mirror segments to be able to withstand such impacts — but this latest hit was a little too big for comfort, according to a NASA update.