All four science instruments on NASA's James Webb Space Telescope have achieved 'perfect alignment' in advance of the telescope's official debut this summer, project officials said in a news teleconference on Monday (May 9).
With its instruments aligned, the Webb telescope awaits a final instrument calibration before it officially begins studying distant stars later this summer, NASA said.
In July, the telescope will share its first suite of science images, targeting galaxies and objects that"highlight all the Webb sciences themes ... from the early , to galaxies over time, to the life cycle of stars, and to other worlds," Klaus Pontoppidan, Webb project scientist at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, said in the news briefing.NASA launched the US$10 billion Webb telescope on 25 December 2021, sending the telescope on a 930,000-mile journey to its final position in the sky. The telescope is composed of 18 hexagonal mirror segments, fitted together into one large, 21-foot-wide mirror.
The design allowed the telescope's mirror system to be folded inside a rocket at launch – unlike Webb's predecessor, the Hubble Space Telescope, which has justfor the Hubble Space Telescope to see. The telescope was designed to observe the dim light of the earliest stars in the Universe, dating to about 13.8 billion years ago – just millions of years after the
Norge Siste Nytt, Norge Overskrifter
Similar News:Du kan også lese nyheter som ligner på denne som vi har samlet inn fra andre nyhetskilder.
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has snapped even more perfect imagesNASA's James Webb Space Telescope has snapped more test images, the latest of which is a breathtaking glimpse of the Large Magellanic Cloud.
Les mer »
James Webb Space Telescope nearly ready to transform our view of the universeAfter launching on Christmas morning, the telescope’s 6.5-meter mirror opened, and its tennis-court size sunshield unfolded in space.
Les mer »
NASA Releases Sharp Images from James Webb Space TelescopeNASA is giving us a gleaming look at the stars, releasing SHOCKINGLY sharp images✨
Les mer »
James Webb Space Telescope enters 'homestretch' of commissioning with stunning imageWe've never seen a neighboring galaxy like this before.
Les mer »
NASA's James Webb telescope prepares to release breathtaking images of the universe in mid-JulyThe James Webb Space Telescope is in the 'home stretch' of commissioning, and scientists plan to release breathtaking images that showcase its new capabilities in mid-July.
Les mer »