A large infrared space telescope developed by NASA with ESA and the Canadian Space Agency, launched in 2021 and positioned near the Sun-Earth L2 Lagrange point. Its infrared sensitivity allows it to observe galaxies from closer to the early universe than any prior telescope.
Facts
Observatory TypeSpace telescope (infrared) 1 LocationSun-Earth L2 Lagrange point, about 1.5 million km from Earth 1 MeasuresMeasures infrared light, from long-wavelength visible red through mid-infrared, 0.6 to 28.5 micrometers. 2 Operating PrincipleUses a segmented primary mirror of 18 hexagonal beryllium segments that unfolded after launch, combined with a multi-layer sunshield that keeps the instruments cold enough for infrared observation. 2 Cross-Tradition Connections
Associated With
James Webb, Pioneers The James Webb Space Telescope, launched in 2021, was named in his honor.
The Webb telescope observes from near the Sun-Earth L2 point.
Operated By
Developed jointly with ESA and the Canadian Space Agency; NASA leads operations.
Sources
1. Encyclopedia Britannica: Space Exploration
Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc.
2. Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Wikimedia FoundationJames Webb Space Telescope, Features sectionQuote, James Webb Space Telescope, Features section
Webb observes a lower frequency range, from long-wavelength visible light (red) through mid-infrared (0.6–28.5 μm).
2. Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Wikimedia FoundationJames Webb Space Telescope, Optics sectionQuote, James Webb Space Telescope, Optics section
The mirror is therefore composed of 18 hexagonal segments
2. Wikipedia (space and spaceflight articles)
Wikimedia FoundationAssociated With: James Webb, James E. Webb, Legacy section
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