Webb telescope promises new era of stars

“The first year (of observations) is a way of testing the instrument for small rocky planets in the habitable zone that could potentially be Earth-like,” said Lisa Kaltenegger, associate professor in astronomy at Cornell University.

“And the tests are beautiful. They’re fantastic.”

Webb will blast off in late 2021 on an Ariane 5 rocket, the crown of a 30-year project at the US space agency NASA.

It cost 10,000 people and $10 billion to put the 6.2-ton observatory into space.

On the way to the final orbit, Webb deployed a five-layer sunshield the size of a tennis court, followed by a 6.5-meter primary mirror composed of 18 hexagonal, gold-plated segments, or petals.

After calibration to less than one millionth of a meter, the 18 petals begin to gather light-pulsating stars.

On July 12, the first images underscored Webb’s capabilities unveiling thousands of galaxies, some dating close to the birth of the universe, and a star nursery in the Carina Nebula.

Jupiter has been captured in incredible detail that is expected to help understand the workings of the giant gas planet.

Spread the love

We may earn a commission if you click on the links within this article. Learn more.