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James Webb telescope is entering period of cooldown, here's what it means

WION Web Team
New DelhiUpdated: Jan 12, 2022, 09:18 PM IST
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In this still picture from a NASA TV broadcast, the James Webb Space Telescope separates from Arianespace's Ariane 5 rocket after launching from Europe’s Spaceport, the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana, on December 25, 2021 Photograph:(AFP)

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James Webb Space Telescope will soon offer humanity a whole new generation of technology with which to gawk at deepest reaches of the universe!

We know that James Webb Space Telescope has been fully deployed. Humanity is on the verge of benefitting from a new generation space telescope equipped with latest technology and instrument. Our observation of the universe will be deeper and we will get more insights into how the universe formed.

James Webb Space Telescope was launched on December 25, 2021. Once the telescope was launched, it underwent the process of unfolding. This major phase was important as it involved hundreads of careful manoeuvres guided from Earth. Now that deployment process is fully complete, the space telescope is entering a 'period of cooldown'

What is a period of cooldown?

NASA said that updates from James Webb space telescope would be less frequent now.

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Alexandra Lockwood, the project scientist for James Webb telescope's science communications, explained more in her blogpost

“Words can’t describe the pride and excitement the Webb team is feeling right now. From engineers to scientists to IT staff to graphic designers to administrative personnel (and more!), we are all overjoyed with the incredible successes of the observatory to date. While we still have a long way to go before getting the science, the engineering feats that have been accomplished, on Earth and now in space, are awe-inspiring. They are a testament to the hard work and expertise of the international Webb team," she says.

Lockwood said that after telescope's mirrors are fully moved out of the launch positions. The process of commissioning will go on for five months

The process will include,

'1) Further cooling of the entire observatory, and of the Mid-Infrared Instrument in particular.
 2) checking and then aligning the secondary and 18 mirror segments into a single coherent optical system, first with the NIRCam instrument and then with all instruments individually and in parallel.

 3) calibrating of each of the four instruments and their many scientific modes.' 

James Webb telescope will replace the legendary but aging Hubble Space Telescope.