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The USD 10 billion James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is tasked with investigating the cosmos to reveal the history of the universe. Photos/NASA
The James Webb Space Telescope is the largest and most complex observatory sent into space. According to NASA, the JWST telescope focuses on four main areas, namely the first light in the universe, the assembly of galaxies in the early universe, the birth of stars and protoplanetary systems, and planets, including the origins of life.
The JWST telescope is the product of an impressive international collaboration between NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Canadian Space Agency. According to NASA, JWST involves more than 300 universities, organizations and companies in 29 US states and 14 countries.
Also read; Stunning, Star Creation Pillars Recorded by the James Webb Telescope
The JWST telescope is targeted to serve for five years in outer space, but is expected to serve even longer, up to 10 years. The main components of the JWST telescope, are an enormous main mirror to collect infrared light, a super large sun visor to keep the telescope cool, and four scientific instruments to carry out ambitious science operations.
Quoted from the webbtelescope page, Saturday (21/1/2023), the main mirror of the JWST telescope rises 8 meters high and the sun visor is the size of a tennis court measuring about 21.2 meters x 14.2 meters. On Earth, the JWST telescope weighs 13,650 pounds, or 6,200 kg, about the weight of an adult African elephant.
The JWST telescope has 18 individual hexagonal mirror segments made of lightweight beryllium and a main mirror measuring 6.6 meters in diameter. The primary mirror’s collection area is 25.37 square meters, helping it collect data on light falling from distant astronomical objects.
Also read; First Time, The James Webb Space Telescope Begins to Track Asteroids
The mirror of the JWST telescope is plated with a thin 0.0001 mm gold on a mirror surface area of 25 square meters. The total weight of the gold used in the plating is 48.25 grams and the mass of the main mirror is about 705 kilograms.
The JWST telescope was launched using the Arianespace Ariane 5 rocket on December 25, 2021 from the ESA launch site in Kourou, Guyana, France. Then on January 24, 2022, after traveling for 30 days as far as 1.5 million kilometers, the JWST telescope reached Lagrange point 2 or L2.
This location is a permanent home for the JWST telescope to carry out its duties because it has stable gravity in space. Then through a series of complicated processes, the JWST telescope removes the sun visor and mirror.
Also read; Unspectacular But Historical, This Is the First Photo of the James Webb Space Telescope
On July 11, 2022, NASA announced that all 17 of the observatory’s scientific instrument modes were ready and the JWST telescope began its epic science mission. A day later, on July 12, 2022, NASA released the first scientific image recorded by the JWST telescope. After that, until now the JWST telescope has succeeded in recording various phenomena in outer space.
(wib)
