NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has completed another important step to align the glass and release the highest infrared image ever captured from space.
Two months ago, the James Webb Space Telescope took its first image in space. Images of the star HD84406 were taken in the Ursa Major galaxy and showed 18 glassy portions of the web that were not aligned to create a clearer image. Scientists working on the web over the past two months have made minor changes to the alignment of the glasses to create an integrated image from the telescope’s NIRCam or primary imaging instrument.
On March 11, NASA announced the completion of the “microscopic stage” of the alignment – the second of seven incremental microscopic stages. This critical stage is very close to the final stage of alignment, but minor changes still need to be made. Ground controllers have been working for months to align regions within a few nanometers – billions per meter – of each other. All Webb tools are fully calibrated and may be in the late summer of 2022 before they are ready for use.
Credit: NASA/STScI
However, when Fine Facing ended, a new photo was taken and released from deep space. This image of NASA 2MASS star J17554042 + 6551277 in perfect alignment with Webb’s glass panes, is the highest image ever taken in space, although more Webb alignment is needed in the future.
NASA has released a report explaining how the JWST is doing better than expected. “Every tried and tested visual parameter performs to or exceeds expectations. The team detected no major problems and there were no measurable contaminants or obstructions in Webb’s optical path. This lab can successfully collect light from distant objects and deliver it to its devices without any problem.
“Twenty years ago, the Web team began developing the most powerful telescope ever built in space and came up with a bold optical design to meet demand,” said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate executive director of NASA’s Science Operations Directorate. scientific goals. Today we can say that the design will be accomplished.
It takes months to deliver efficient, optimized images of the web space, but scientists and project enthusiasts are already optimistic and excited to see web discovery.
According to NASA, the next six weeks will be spent operating, measuring, and testing complex scientific instruments, including near-infrared spectrophotometers, near-infrared imagers, and non-slit spectrophotometers. At this point in the process, an algorithm will evaluate the performance of each instrument and calculate the final corrections required to achieve a well-coordinated telescope across all scientific instruments.
NASA says it has a Web team to complete all aspects of the optical telescope’s element alignment by early May. If all goes as planned, Webb’s first full-resolution scientific images and data will be released this summer.
“The Web is the world’s leading space science laboratory and, once fully operational, will help solve the mysteries of our solar system, far from distant worlds around other stars, and explore the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and the space within. Webb is the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Canadian Space Agency. It is an international project led by NASA with its partners in the agency (NASA).
