James Webb Telescope Launch (finally)

[ponder]

James Webb Space Telescope Archives - NASA Science

blogs.nasa.gov

NASA’s Webb In Full Focus, Ready for Instrument Commissioning

Alignment of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope is now complete. After full review, the observatory has been confirmed to be capable of capturing crisp, well-focused images with each of its four powerful onboard science instruments. Upon completing the seventh and final stage of telescope alignment, the team held a set of key decision meetings and unanimously agreed that Webb is ready to move forward into its next and final series of preparations, known as science instrument commissioning. This process will take about two months before scientific operations begin in the summer.

 

[saturnz]

 

[Gordon_R]

Ironically it is physically impossible for each of the different instruments on JWST to image the exact same objects simultaneously. They are all closely aligned, but cover non-overlapping parts of the sky.

 

[Brian_G]

Ironically it is physically impossible for each of the different instruments on JWST to image the exact same objects simultaneously. They are all closely aligned, but cover non-overlapping parts of the sky.

In a way it's like having 4 independent telescopes.

Trying to decide which is my best one - I think MIRI for its new horizons, but NIRSPEC with its 1000's of microshutters might take the cake
Here's some more mouth-watering pics:

NIRSpec Microshutters

The microshutters on the James Webb Space Telescope's NIRSpec instrument.

www.flickr.com

 

[Brian_G]

James Webb Space Telescope Archives - NASA Science

blogs.nasa.gov

“The thermal stability exercise will measure these changes by moving between the extremes of Webb’s field of view, from the hot to the cold attitude, spending multiple days in the cold attitude, then slewing back to the hot attitude. During this time, the Webb team will measure the thermal stability, pointing performance and optical wavefront drift."

 

[Brian_G]

And lastly, what and why details of the instruments commissioning;

James Webb Space Telescope Archives - NASA Science

blogs.nasa.gov