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Webb Telescope
NASAs Webb Reaches Alignment
Mar 16,2022
Milestone; Optics Working Successfully
RELEASE
22-024
hours ag0
El telescopio Webb de la NASA alcanza un
NASA's Webb Reaches Alignment Milestone, Optics
in
hito en Su alineacion
Working Successfully
17 hours ag0
Lee esta nota de prensa en esparol aqui:
NASA to Discuss Progressas Webb
Telescope's Mirrors Align
Following the completion of critical mirror alignment steps, NASA's James Webb Space Telescope team expects that Webb's optical performance will be able to
davs ag0
meet or exceed the science goals the observatory was built to achieve
NASA to Discuss Webb Telescope Progress;
On March 11,the Webb team completed the stage of alignment known as "fine phasing
At this key stage in the commissioning of Webb's Optical Telescope
Mirror Alignment
Element; every optical parameter that has been checked and tested is performing at; or above, expectations. The team also found no critical issues and no
month ago
measurable contamination or blockages to Webbs optical path. The observatory is able tO successfully gather light from distant objects and deliver it to its
instruments without issue.
NASA to Discuss Webb $ Arrival at Final
Although there are months to go before Webb ultimately delivers its new view of the cosmOs; achieving
Destination; Next Steps
this milestone means the team is confident that Webb's first-of-its-kind optical system iS working as
TeLEScOPE Alignmert Evaluatiom Image
monthsag0
well as possible_
del
"More than 20 years ago, the Webb team set out to build the most powerful telescope that anyone has
Aun ano
mandato de Biden; Ia NASA
ever put in space and came up with an audacious optical design to meet demanding science goals,
mira hacia el futuro
said Thomas Zurbuchen; associate administrator for NASAs Science Mission Directorate in
months ago
Washington.
Today we can say that design is going tO deliver.
One Year into the Biden Administration;
While some of the largest ground-based telescopes on Earth use segmented primary mirrors, Webb is
NASA Looks to Future
the first telescope in space to use such
design: The 21-foot,
~inch (6.5-meter) primary mirror
much
2 months ago
too big to fit inside
rocket fairing
is made up of 18 hexagonal; beryllium mirror segments
had to
While the purpose of this image was
focus on the bright star at
be folded up for launch and then unfolded in space before each mirror was adjusted
tO within
the center for alignment evaluation; Webb's optics and NIRCam
nanometers
to form
single mirror surface.
So sensitive that the galaxies and stars seen
background show up
At this stage of Webb'
mirror alignment,
"In addition t0 enabling the incredible science that Webb will achieve, the teams that designed, built;
Enoym
"fine phasing,
each of the primary mirtor segments
tested, launched, and now operate this observatory have pioneered
new way to build space
have been adjusted
produce one unified image of the same
star using only the NIRCam instrument: This image of the star;
telescopes
said Lee Feinberg; Webb optical telescope element manager at NASAs Goddard Space
which
is called ZMASS J17554042+6551277 , Uses
tilter
Flight Center in Greenbelt; Maryland.
optimize visual contrast
Credits: NASAISTScI
NASAs Webb Reaches Alignment Milestone, Optics Working Successfully
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