Tag Archive for 'CSA'

Engineering images of sharply focused stars in the field of view of each instrument demonstrate that the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope is fully aligned and in focus. For this test, Webb pointed at part of the Large Magellanic Cloud, a small satellite galaxy of the Milky Way, providing a dense field of hundreds of thousands of stars across all the observatory’s sensors. The sizes and positions of the images shown here depict the relative arrangement of each of Webb’s instruments in the telescope’s focal plane, each pointing at a slightly offset part of the sky relative to one another. Webb’s three imaging instruments are NIRCam (images shown here at a wavelength of 2 microns), NIRISS (image shown here at 1.5 microns), and MIRI (shown at 7.7 microns, a longer wavelength revealing emission from interstellar clouds as well as starlight). NIRSpec is a spectrograph rather than imager but can take images, such as the 1.1 micron image shown here, for calibrations and target acquisition. The dark regions visible in parts of the NIRSpec data are due to structures of its microshutter array, which has several hundred thousand controllable shutters that can be opened or shut to select which light is sent into the spectrograph. Lastly, Webb’s Fine Guidance Sensor tracks guide stars to point the observatory accurately and precisely; its two sensors are not generally used for scientific imaging but can take calibration images such as those shown here. This image data is used not just to assess image sharpness but also to precisely measure and calibrate subtle image distortions and alignments between sensors as part of Webb’s overall instrument calibration process. Image credit: NASA / STScI.

Webb Successfully Completes Alignment Phase

Apr 29, 2022 by News Staff

After full review, the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope has been confirmed to be capable of capturing well-focused images with each of its four...

While the purpose of this image was to focus on the bright star at the center for alignment evaluation, Webb’s optics and NIRCam are so sensitive that the galaxies and stars seen in the background show up. At this stage of Webb’s mirror alignment, known as fine phasing, each of the primary mirror segments have been adjusted to produce one unified image of the same star using only the NIRCam instrument. This image of a star called 2MASS J17554042+6551277 uses a red filter to optimize visual contrast. Image credit: NASA / STScI.

Webb’s Optics Works Successfully, NASA Says

Mar 16, 2022 by News Staff

Following the completion of mirror alignment steps, the Webb team expects that the telescope’s optical performance will be able to meet or exceed its...

During this phase of Webb’s alignment known as image stacking, individual segment images are moved so they fall precisely at the center of the field to produce one unified image instead of 18. Image credit: NASA / STScI.

Webb Continues On Its Path to Becoming Focused Observatory

Mar 2, 2022 by News Staff

Scientists and engineers on the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope team have successfully worked through the second and third out of seven total phases...

This mosaic, taken by the NIRCam instrument onboard the James Webb Space Telescope, shows 18 images of the same star. Image credit: NASA.

James Webb Space Telescope Spots Its First Star

Feb 14, 2022 by News Staff

Each dot visible in this image mosaic from the Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam) instrument onboard the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope is the same...

An artist’s impression of the James Webb Space Telescope. Image credit: ESA.

Webb’s Camera Captures Its First Photons of Starlight

Feb 8, 2022 by News Staff

On February 3, 2022, astronomers saw the first photons of starlight that traveled through the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope and were detected...

Webb Arrives at Second Lagrange Point of Sun-Earth System

Jan 25, 2022 by News Staff

On January 24, 2021, the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope fired its thrusters for 297 seconds to complete the final post launch course correction...

Webb’s mirror consists of a honeycomb-like pattern of 18 hexagonal, gold-coated mirror segments. Image credit: ESA.

Webb Successfully Deploys Its Primary Mirror

Jan 10, 2022 by News Staff

On January 7 and 8, 2021, two wings of 6.4-m (21-foot) gold-coated primary mirror of the NASA/ESA/CA James Webb Space Telescope were deployed and latched...

Webb Telescope’s Sunshield Fully Deployed

Jan 5, 2022 by News Staff

The Webb team has successfully completed tensioning for the five layers of the observatory’s kite-shaped sunshield. An artist’s impression of the James...

The James Webb Space Telescope lifted off on an Ariane 5 rocket from Europe’s Spaceport in French Guiana on December 25, 2021, on its exciting mission to unlock the secrets of the Universe. Image credit: ESA / CNES / Arianespace.

Webb Launches to Study Universe in Infrared

Dec 26, 2021 by News Staff

The James Webb Space Telescope, an international partnership between NASA, ESA and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), launched at 7:20 a.m. EST (13:20 CET)...

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