Oops!!

---

duplicate post.

The people managing the deployment of the JWST appear to be proceeding in a very methodical, careful manner. The Sunshield has been reeled out, but must next be tightened.

The telescope is a bit over half way to its intended station at the Earth - Sun libration point (L2) about a million miles from our planet, and along Earth's orbit of the Sun. A very good article, which goes into further detail about the deployment is linked below:

https://www.space.com/james-webb-space-telescope-sunshield-tension-delay

All five layers of the sunshield are now fully tensioned.

Cheers.

Thanks, Wiggo. The tensioning seems to have gone fairly quickly and smoothly. Next, they will deploy the secondary mirror. It will reflect light gathered by the large primary mirror into the observation instruments. The Webb had to be rocketed into space in a highly compressed, folded up configuration. This was so it could be placed inside a rocketry casing of a practical size.

More unfolding.

NASA's James Webb Telescope deploys secondary mirror while in space.

Cheers.

The left side of the huge primary mirror of the JWST was unfolded into place today. The right hand side will be similarly deployed tomorrow.

The Webb is about half-way to its destination at the L2 position. Once there, the Earth will lie directly between the Space Observatory and the Sun. The JWST will be permanently shaded to protect it from heat, which would interfere with its infrared observations.

Link to article on the continuing deployment:

https://www.space.com/james-webb-space-telescope-1st-primary-mirror-deploy

The starboard panel of the WEBB mirror has been deployed and is beig locked in position. I watched the NASA video and saw people with masks on their faces clapping their hands. This is a reminder of the human condition. We can build space telescopes but are powerless against a simple virus.
Tullio

---

The unfolding has been completed and now it's time for instrument testing.

Relief as NASA's most powerful space telescope finishes risky unfolding.

Cheers.

Each one of the 18 mirrors has to be focused on the secondary mirror and the whole has to be connected. A long task, it wil ltake months.
Tullio

---

Webb Telescope fires its thrusters to settle in at final destination, a million miles from Earth.

The $10 billion James Webb Space Telescope successfully fired its thrusters today to put it in position at the destination where it’s expected to probe the mysteries of the universe for years to come.

The nearly five-minute firing at 11 a.m. PT sent JWST into its prescribed orbit around a balance point known as L2, a million miles beyond Earth. It’s a point where the gravitational pulls of the sun and the Earth align to keep spacecraft in a relatively stable position, minimizing the need for course corrections...

Cheers.

For 55 billion would like results now. lol

---

Thumbs up and fingers crossed !!

For 55 billion would like results now. lol

As far as I know its cost was 11 billion dollars and 30 years of labor by engineers and scientists. It is an engineering masterpiece.
Tullio

---

For 55 billion would like results now. lol

As far as I know its cost was 11 billion dollars and 30 years of labor by engineers and scientists. It is an engineering masterpiece.
Tullio

yes around 11 billion, my bad, sorry.

---

The fine tuning begins.

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope captures its first PHOTONS.

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has captured its first photons of starlight, as it begins a three month 'alignment process' to be ready to observe the universe.

The infrared observatory launched on Christmas Day last year, taking off from the European Space Agency spaceport in French Guiana, on an Ariane 5 rocket.

After travelling a million miles, it finally reached its destination, where it has begun the process of cooling down, and calibrating its mirror and instruments.

'First Light' is an important milestone for any telescope, as it is the point where starlight is detected by the observatory, and its various instruments.

The particles of light travelled through the entire telescope, and were detected by the Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam) instrument. A milestone that marks the first of many steps to capture unfocused images used to fine-tune the telescope.

'This is the very beginning of the process, but so far the initial results match expectations and simulations,' NASA explained...

Cheers.

NASA unveils the James Webb Space Telescope’s first images.

But a lot more needs to be done yet on focusing.

When 18 become 1.

James Webb Space Telescope Delivers Splendid Star Image as Mirrors Align.

Cheers.

Finally.

NASA reveals James Webb's first focused image of a single STAR.

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has taken its first 'in focus' image of a single star, and it is so good it could allow the observatory to exceed its science goals.

This would allow for much more accurate images of stars, planets and galaxies once the telescope begins its science operations in the coming months.

Webb was launched from the European spaceport in French Guiana on Christmas Day last year, arriving at its final orbit between Earth and the sun on January 24.

It has now completed a series of critical mirror alignment steps, known as 'fine phasing', and revealing an in focus image of the star, 2MASS J17554042+6551277.

NASA says the image is so good that the optical performance from Webb 'will be able to meet or exceed the science goals the observatory was built to achieve.'

'More than 20 years ago, the Webb team set out to build the most powerful telescope that anyone has ever put in space and came up with an audacious optical design to meet demanding science goals,' said Thomas Zurbuchen, NASA associate administrator. 'Today we can say that design is going to deliver.'

This, and the two mosaic images revealed previously, are 'engineering images', with the first 'pretty picture' set to be released early this summer.....

Cheers.

Dr Becky got very excited about that just now this evening (Wednesday):


YouTube brief livestream: The James Webb Space Telescope mirrors are aligned!


Just got to be watched!

Enjoy!!
Martin

---

See new freedom: Mageia Linux
Take a look for yourself: Linux Format
The Future is what We all make IT (GPLv3)