“We have the highest resolution infrared images ever taken from space. The telescope is working better than it should be,” said Scott Acton, a wave sensing and control scientist who works at the telescope.
This image obtained is a remarkable achievement and a great result for the many scientists who have worked tirelessly to develop, launch and align the largest space observatory.
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“More than 20 years ago, (James) Webb’s team built the most powerful telescope ever in space and came up with bold optical designs to fulfill the goals of science. Today we can say that this design materialized,” said Thomas Zurbuchen, Associate Administrator for NASA Science Missions.
Last weekend, scientists completed the telescope’s newest alignment or alignment phase, called “fine phasing.” In other words, the telescope perfectly aligns its 18 hexagonal mirror segments to focus on a single bright star.
The result was even better than expected. As NASA notes in its press release, “Every optical parameter that has been examined and tested performs at, or above, expectations,” NASA explains.
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Scientists now hope to complete the final step of the alignment process before setting up the James Webb Telescope’s scientific instruments. “There were no critical problems and no measurable contamination or blockages to Webb’s optical path,” NASA added.
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