NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has completed another important step in mirror alignment and released the highest infrared image ever captured from space.
Less than two months ago, the James Webb Space Telescope took its first images in space. The images were taken of the star HD84406 in the constellation Ursa Major and displayed 18 mirrored segments of Webb, which have not yet been aligned to create a single clear image. Scientists working on the Webb have spent the past two months making minor adjustments to the alignment of the mirrors to produce a single, unified image from the NIRCam or telescope’s primary imaging instrument.
On March 11, NASA announced the completion of the “micro-staging” phase of the alignment – the second of seven increasingly microscopic stages. This critical step is very close to the final stages of alignment, but minor adjustments still need to be made. Earth controllers have been working for months to align sections a few nanometers – billionths of a meter – from each other. It could be late summer 2022 before all Webb hardware is fully calibrated and ready to go.
Credits: NASA/STScI
However, after the careful staging was completed, a new image of deep space was captured and published. While Webb’s alignment will require additional adjustments in the near future, NASA claims that this image of the star 2MASS J17554042+6551277, with clips from the Webb mirror in near-perfect alignment, is the tallest image ever taken in space.
NASA released a statement explaining how the JWST is performing better than expected. “All verified and tested optical parameters performed at or above expectations. The team also found no critical issues, no pollution, or measurable obstructions in the Webb’s optical path. The observatory is able to successfully collect light from distant objects and deliver it to its instruments without question.”
Thomas Zurbuchen, Associate Administrator of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, said: “More than 20 years ago, the Webb team set out to build the most powerful telescope anyone has ever put into space and created a bold optical design to meet scientific goals. I can say that design will achieve Success”.
It will be months before Webb can provide calibrated, actionable images of the universe, but scientists and fans of the project are already optimistic and excited to see what Webb discovers.
According to NASA, the next six weeks will be spent commissioning, calibrating and testing complex scientific instruments, including the near-infrared spectrometer, mid-infrared instrument, near-infrared imaging and slitless spectrometers. At this point in the process, the algorithm will evaluate the performance of each instrument and then calculate the final corrections needed to obtain a well-coordinated telescope across all scientific instruments.
NASA says Webb’s team is on track to complete all aspects of aligning the optical telescope’s elements in early May, if not earlier, before moving into nearly two months of science instrument preparations. If all goes according to plan, the first full resolution web images and scientific data will be released early this summer.
“Webb is the world’s premier space science observatory and, once fully operational, will help solve the mysteries of our solar system, look further into distant worlds around other stars, and explore the mysterious structures and origins of our universe. and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA and its partners at the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Canadian Space Agency.” (NASA)
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