James Webb Space Telescope over Earth
Explanation:
There's a big new telescope in space.
This one, the
James Webb Space Telescope
(JWST), not only has a
mirror over five times larger than
Hubble's in area, but can see better in
infrared light.
The featured picture shows JWST high above the Earth
just after being released by the upper stage of an Ariane V rocket,
launched yesterday from
French Guiana.
Over the next month,
JWST
will move out near the
Sun-Earth L2 point where it will co-orbit the Sun with the Earth.
During this time and for the next five months,
JWST will unravel its
segmented mirror and an array of sophisticated scientific
instruments -- and test them.
If all goes well, JWST will start examining
galaxies across the universe and
planets orbiting stars across our
Milky Way Galaxy in the summer of 2022.
APOD Gallery:
Webb
Space Telescope Launch
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
