Alignment

Webb Just Sent Back Its First-Ever Sharp Image of a Star, And It’s Breathtaking

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A critical stage of the James Webb Space Telescope’s mirror alignment has been completed, keeping the state-of-the-art observatory on track to commence science observations in a few months.   On March 11, the telescope completed its final round of fine phasing to correct alignment errors. No issues have been identified, and the Webb team is … Read more

James Webb Space Telescope is nearly halfway through its mirror alignment stages

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Stars are getting sharper in the James Webb Space Telescope‘s field of view. The team recently completed the third of seven planned steps to align the 18 hexagonal segments of Webb’s mirror, marking nearly the halfway point in a complex, weeks-long process. The second and third stages were respectively called segment alignment and image stacking, … Read more

James Webb Space Telescope instrument checkouts on track amid mirror alignment

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Several instruments are preparing to help the James Webb Space Telescope with its mirror alignment and future observations, with several key steps achieved in recent days, according to NASA. The filter wheel for the Near Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph (NIRISS) has been successfully calibrated, allowing this key part of the Fine Guidance System (FGS) … Read more

Alignment of James Webb Space Telescope begins

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The James Webb Space Telescope continues to take big strides toward becoming an operational observatory. Mission team members have begun the three-month process of aligning the $10 billion Webb, which launched on Dec. 25, NASA officials announced today (Feb. 3).  In the past day or so, for the first time, photons from distant stars traveled … Read more