This “selfie” image of Webb’s 18 primary mirror segments simultaneously collects light from the same star.
Image: NASA
The team behind NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has claimed to have captured “the highest-resolution infrared image ever” in the first test snapshot.
The images released by NASA include a “selfie” of JWST completing a “fine phased” alignment of its 18 hexagonal mirrors to act as a single mirror, and an image of a single star and the galaxies and stars behind it.
“We’ve completely aligned and focused the telescope on a star, and the performance is beating the specs. We’re excited about what this means for science,” said the deputy director. NASA optical telescope element manager Goddard told Webb.
NASA also confirmed that there were no serious problems or blockages to the JWST optical path, and test images showed the mirror was able to collect light from distant objects and deliver it to its instruments. no problem.
“Over 20 years ago, the Webb team began building the most powerful telescope anyone has ever put in space, and have come up with a bold optical design to meet rigorous scientific goals.” Thomas Zurbuchen, NASA’s deputy director of science missions.
NASA says the team will spend the next six weeks perfecting the alignment of the telescope using algorithms to evaluate and calculate any final corrections to be completed by early May or earlier. . The team will then spend two months preparing the instruments, with NASA expected to capture the first scientific data sets and full-resolution images by the summer.
JWST launched in December from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, as part of an international program between NASA, the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency. Located one million miles away from Earth, the telescope has been developed to study the evolution of our solar system.
Image: NASA
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