NASA announced that James Webb Space Telescope's mirrors were finally properly aligned.
The telescope's mirrors and equipment have been deployed and minutely calibrated to acquire exceptionally crisp, correct photos in a months-long procedure that began when the telescope was launched in December 2021.
The mirrors enable the telescope to observe faraway objects such as galaxies, which are so far away that gazing at them is like looking at the cosmos when it was young.
NASA James Webb Space Telescope Finally Aligned
The achievement, which NASA celebrated with some new Webb photos, permits the mission team to begin commissioning the research instruments.
After several months of mirror and equipment alignments, the telescope will begin a new phase of preparation. The process will take around two months, with Webb on target to finish in June if all goes according to plan.
The optical performance of these new pictures, according to the study, is better than "the most optimistic projections."
"These images have profoundly changed the way I see the universe," Scott Acton, Webb wavefront sensing and controls scientist at Ball Aerospace, said in the NASA statement (via Space.com).
"We are surrounded by a symphony of creation; there are galaxies everywhere," he added.
The first high-resolution photographs Webb takes of the universe won't be available until the end of June. That's because the observatory's equipment need to be calibrated, CNN reported.
However, test findings provided by NASA on Thursday demonstrate that the observatory's four equipment are capable of obtaining sharp, well-focused photos.
These photos cover the whole field of view of the telescope when combined. Webb's mirrors feed concentrated light from space into each device to capture photos.
According to Universe Today, the mirrors are now sending fully focused light down into each instrument. Each instrument is successfully recording photos with the light being given to it, thanks to the alignment of the telescope's 18 mirror segments.
Researchers added that the photos transmitted to all equipment are diffraction-limited, which means that the fineness of detail visible is as excellent as physically achievable given the telescope's size.
Since its debut on Dec. 25, 2021, the $10 billion telescope has had a busy schedule. Webb had to launch into deep space, which took over a month, and then it had to go through a complicated seven-step alignment procedure. Each milestone has gone off without a hitch, with just small adjustments needed along the road.
What JWST Will Do Next
The instruments and capabilities of the telescope have been examined, and NASA has determined that Webb is now ready to begin commissioning its equipment.
Webb's performance thus far has exceeded expectations, with each instrument being designated "diffraction-limited" (via NASA). Given the telescope's mirror size, all of the light entering the instrument is being captured to the best of its ability.
With minimal periodic adjustments, the mirrors will remain in their current locations for the duration of the telescope's life.
The next hurdle is to make all four instruments ready for operation during the commissioning phase, which entails thoroughly inspecting all of their components, such as lenses and filters.
Later this summer, the telescope is planned to begin gathering science data.
It signifies that part of the engineering team's tasks on Webb has been completed.
"With the completion of telescope alignment and half a lifetime's worth of effort, my role on the James Webb Space Telescope mission has come to an end," Acton said per Slash Gear.
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