{"id":3969,"date":"2022-03-18T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-03-18T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/?p=3969"},"modified":"2022-03-31T02:25:12","modified_gmt":"2022-03-31T02:25:12","slug":"in-an-engineering-milestone-james-webb-finally-has-its-optics-aligned","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/in-an-engineering-milestone-james-webb-finally-has-its-optics-aligned\/","title":{"rendered":"In an Engineering Milestone, James Webb Finally Has Its Optics Aligned"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>After tracking the status and updates regarding one of humanity\u2019s most remarkable feats of engineering, the <a href=\"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/james-webb-telescope-now-fully-deployed-sets-its-sights-to-the-stars\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">now-deployed James Webb Space Telescope<\/a>\u2014now revolving around Lagrange point L2 some 1.5 million km (932,000 mi)\u2014has finally aligned its optics, enabling the large telescope to view the universe with clarity for the first time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/press-release\/nasa-s-webb-reaches-alignment-milestone-optics-working-successfully\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">NASA announced the milestone<\/a> for the space telescope last March 16, with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">NASA<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/science.nasa.gov\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Science Mission Directorate<\/a> associate administrator Thomas Zurbuchen spearheading the agency\u2019s announcement, much to the delight of astronomers and space enthusiasts worldwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"NASA\u2019s Webb Reaches Alignment Milestone, Optics Working Successfully\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/MiGx8xv6xjE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption>Watch NASA\u2019s video announcement concerning the major milestone for the record-breaking space telescope here. (James Webb Space Telescope, 2022)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cMore than 20 years ago, the Webb team set out to build the most powerful telescope that anyone has ever put in space and came up with an audacious optical design to meet demanding science goals,\u201d said Zurbuchen. \u201cToday we can say that design is going to deliver.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, the concept of using mirror \u201cpieces\u201d to assemble a segmented primary mirror isn\u2019t anything new\u2014ground-based telescopes like <a href=\"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/a-red-giant-exploded-into-a-supernova-in-front-of-scientists-eyes\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the Keck Telescopes atop the Mauna Kea Observatories<\/a> also use the same type of technology, among others\u2014Webb is the first space telescope of its kind to also make use of the technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img  decoding=\"async\"  src=\"data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABAQMAAAAl21bKAAAAA1BMVEUAAP+KeNJXAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAApJREFUCNdjYAAAAAIAAeIhvDMAAAAASUVORK5CYII=\"  alt=\"\"  class=\" pk-lazyload\"  data-pk-sizes=\"auto\"  data-pk-src=\"https:\/\/lh5.googleusercontent.com\/tspKGlJm7oSZbnt4bCJGt_BIL4VdwqwZ3eR2nG78v3s3_uSJe9VSTjwCFh3R1R56vehppZdFgkrDXDZtL8lKnm7DLY2BZ6KZcyV3tzJ03Y-IyAtErKYZZq7wJiJ4CcO7DyOHDzOh\" ><figcaption>Webb aligned its primary mirror segments as it focused on the star 2MASS J17554042+6551277. Webb\u2019s optics were so sensitive that focusing on the distant star revealed galaxies and stars in the background. (NASA\/STSci, 2022)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>What makes the task of aligning these telescopes all the more challenging is the fact that the telescope is 1.5 million km (932,000 mi) away, making the telescope nearly four times further away than the furthest humans have ever gone from our planet\u2019s surface. (For the record, that\u2019s about 400,000 km [248,000 mi], when astronauts aboard the Apollo 13 mission swung from the far side of the Moon).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIn addition to enabling the incredible science that Webb will achieve, the teams that designed, built, tested, launched, and now operate this observatory have pioneered a new way to build space telescopes,\u201d said Lee Feinberg, manager of the James Webb Space Telescope\u2019s optical telescope element.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img  decoding=\"async\"  src=\"data:image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABAQMAAAAl21bKAAAAA1BMVEUAAP+KeNJXAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAApJREFUCNdjYAAAAAIAAeIhvDMAAAAASUVORK5CYII=\"  alt=\"\"  class=\" pk-lazyload\"  data-pk-sizes=\"auto\"  data-pk-src=\"https:\/\/lh3.googleusercontent.com\/fNXSj-L_rtQa9TQszcXrPuhoJ76FMj49-vpLD7HARlVeZZb6OpatQChRDwSP1w5QYgA-DNmjbftSX_yFfvylxQI_eoLJfMHVnfcKkbGtum90lP9llihCR095K5eWYYiaTXlnLJkE\" ><figcaption>Webb\u2019s Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam) instrument took a \u201cselfie\u201d of the telescope\u2019s primary mirrors using a specialized pupil imaging lens, pointed towards the primary mirror segments instead of outward towards space. (NASA\/STSci, 2022)<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe have fully aligned and focused the telescope on a star and the performance is beating specifications,\u201d said Webb\u2019s deputy optical telescope element manager Ritva Keski-Kuha who was referring to the star 2MASS J17554042+6551277. \u201cWe are excited about what this means for science. [&#8230;] We now know we have built the right telescope.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Within the next several weeks, the rest of Webb\u2019s data-gathering equipment will align itself with the telescope. NASA will use algorithms designed to evaluate the performance of each instrument, then apply corrections to align the telescope across all its instruments. From there, the final alignments will commence before declaring the telescope ready for full-scale research.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The alignment of Webb\u2019s Optical Telescope Alignment is expected to end by May, with the rest of the telescope\u2019s science instrument preparations expected to commence in the next two months after that. The space telescope\u2019s first full-resolution images alongside science data are expected to be produced by the end of summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"references\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">References<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Bartels, M. (2022, March 16). <em>New James Webb Space Telescope photo showcases single star in key mission milestone<\/em>. Space.Com. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.space.com\/james-webb-space-telescope-alignment-photo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.space.com\/james-webb-space-telescope-alignment-photo<\/a><\/li><li>Nanayakkara, T. (2022, March 17). <em>The James Webb Space Telescope has taken its first aligned image of a star. Here\u2019s how it was done<\/em>. The Conversation. <a href=\"http:\/\/theconversation.com\/the-james-webb-space-telescope-has-taken-its-first-aligned-image-of-a-star-heres-how-it-was-done-178315\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">http:\/\/theconversation.com\/the-james-webb-space-telescope-has-taken-its-first-aligned-image-of-a-star-heres-how-it-was-done-178315<\/a><\/li><li>Potter, S. (2022, March 16). <em>Nasa\u2019s webb reaches alignment milestone, optics working successfully<\/em> [Text]. NASA. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/press-release\/nasa-s-webb-reaches-alignment-milestone-optics-working-successfully\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">http:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/press-release\/nasa-s-webb-reaches-alignment-milestone-optics-working-successfully<\/a><\/li><li>Wall, M. (2019, April 23). <em>The most extreme human spaceflight records<\/em>. Space.Com. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.space.com\/11337-human-spaceflight-records-50th-anniversary.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">https:\/\/www.space.com\/11337-human-spaceflight-records-50th-anniversary.html<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"After tracking the status and updates regarding one of humanity\u2019s most remarkable feats of engineering, the now-deployed James&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3895,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[15,14],"tags":[237],"class_list":{"0":"post-3969","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-engineering","8":"category-space","9":"tag-james-webb-space-telescope","10":"cs-entry","11":"cs-video-wrap"},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3969","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3969"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3969\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3971,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3969\/revisions\/3971"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3895"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3969"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3969"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3969"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}