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Mahesh

17/08/24 09:10 AM IST

James Webb Space Telescope

In News
  • Images from the James Webb Space Telescope are puzzling — instead of newborn galaxies, the early phases of the Universe appear to be full of adult-sized galaxies.
James Webb telescope
  • The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is a general-purpose observatory with a large aperture telescope optimised for infrared observations and a suite of state-of-the-art astronomical instruments capable of addressing many outstanding issues in astronomy
  • Infrared optimisation: Designed primarily for infrared astronomy to observe objects which were too old, distant, or faint for visible light detection.
  • Large primary mirror: Equipped with a 6.5-meter diameter primary mirror to capture more light and provide higher-resolution images.
  • Segmented mirror design: The primary mirror comprises 18 hexagonal, gold-coated beryllium segments, thus enabling it to fold for launch and unfold in space.
  • Sunshield protection: A five-layer sun-shield, which blocks solar light and heat, maintaining the instruments at extremely low temperatures necessary for infrared observations.
  • Location at Lagrange Point 2 (L2): Operates from a stable orbit around the Sun-Earth L2 point thereby minimising light interference and reducing fuel consumption for orbital corrections.
  • High sensitivity: Its instruments are highly sensitive to infrared light thus enabling the study of the earliest stars and galaxies formed after the Big Bang
  • Cryogenic cooling system: Uses a passive cooling system to reach temperatures as low as 40 Kelvin (-233°C) which is essential for infrared observations
  • Precision guidance sensors: Equipped with sophisticated guidance sensors for accurate pointing and stability. This is crucial for long-duration observations of faint celestial objects.
  • Extended wavelength coverage: Capable of observing a wide range of wavelengths from 0.6 to 28 micrometres.
Source- Indian Express

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