infrared telescopes
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The Webb Telescope Is Almost Fully Aligned
The Webb Space Telescope is in its final (seventh) stage of alignment, bringing the superlative spacecraft tantalizingly close to commencing its scientific operations.
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Webb Space Telescope Successfully Sees Its First Glimmer of Light
A major milestone has been achieved in the deployment of the James Webb Space Telescope, with an onboard instrument detecting its first photons from a distant star. This means engineers can now begin the three-month process of aligning the space telescope’s 18 mirrors.
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Webb Space Telescope Deploys Primary Mirror Without a Hitch
The left wing of Webb’s primary mirror unfolded and locked into position on Saturday, in what was the final step of the major deployments phase. The space telescope finally looks like a telescope, but the commissioning phase is far from over.
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Webb Space Telescope Got a Lucky Boost From Its Christmas Launch
When the Webb Space Telescope successfully launched from Earth on Saturday, most everyone was just relieved that it didn’t blow up in the process. But now there’s even better news: The launch was precise enough that the spacecraft may have enough propellant to continue its scientific operations for longer than planned.