NASA will release new images of James Webb Space Telescope And discuss the painstaking progress in aligning the observatory today (March 16) and you can follow it live online.
The space agency will hold a virtual press conference in 12 PM EST (1600 GMT) It will be broadcast live on NASA TV, the NASA App, and the NASA website. You will be able to see the summary on this page at the start time, Courtesy of NASA TV. But before the briefing comes a more anticipated event: the release of new images from Webb at 11:30 a.m. EDT (1530 GMT).
“Participants will share progress made in aligning Webb’s mirrors, resulting in a fully focused image of a single star,” according to NASA officials. wrote in advertisement this week. “NASA will make images of the completion of this achievement available on the agency’s website.” website It’s 11:30 a.m., before the briefing.”
Mission updates: NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope mission
Related: How does the James Webb Space Telescope work?
The star in Webb’s new photos Likely to HD 84406, a sun-like star about 260 light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major that scientists used while aligning 18 hexagonal segments of the observatory’s main mirror. The alignment process is expected to take several months.
So far, Webb has used her mirrors to take her 18 singles for the star and refine his point of view to make One picture from HD 84406.
“Since then, the alignment stages are called”coarse and fine stages“Engineers made smaller adjustments to the positions of Webb’s 18 primary mirror segments so that they act as a single mirror, producing a sharp, focused image of a single star,” NASA wrote in the statement. The images aren’t stunning or pretty in the traditional sense, but they are an indication that Webb’s optics are working as planned.
NASA, ESA and Canada launch the $10 billion Webb Space Telescope On December 25 To begin the latest major mission of the US Agency’s space observatory. Described as a successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, Webb is an infrared observatory designed to delve deeper into the universe than ever before. You’ll be observing the universe from a location about a million miles from Earth, which it arrived at just a few weeks after launch.
Scientists hope that Webb will be able to see some of the oldest stars and galaxies, study the atmospheres of alien planets and even gaze at planets in our solar system as part of his work.
“Webb will explore every stage of cosmic history — from within our solar system to the most distant observable galaxies in the early universe, and everything in between,” NASA officials wrote in their statement. “Webb will reveal new and unexpected discoveries and help humanity understand the origins of the universe and our place in it.”
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