At 21 feet, Webb’s gold-plated flower-shaped mirror is the largest and most sensitive ever sent into space. It consists of 18 segments, one of which was hit by the larger-than-expected micrometeoroid in May. Micrometeoroids are fragments of asteroids that are typically smaller than a grain of sand, according to NASA. At the time, Paul Geithner, technical associate project manager at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center explained that it was known that Webb would have to survive the harsh environment of space, including micrometeoroids. In a new report released, Webb’s commissioning team said that while the mirrors and shields on the telescope were “expected to be slowly degraded by micrometeoroid impacts,” the impact on a specific section, known as C3, “exceeded expectations of damage before from the launch for a single micrometeoroid’. Still, Webb’s team has found that the overall effect on the telescope is small. Engineers were able to realign Webb’s segments to adjust for micrometeoroid damage. CDC warns virus that can cause seizures, death in infants circulating in several states Webb has been hit by at least six micrometeoroids since its launch in December, equal to about one impact per month, which is in line with expectations, according to their report. The damage to C3, however, prompts engineers to investigate whether the impact was rare, meaning it could happen once every few years, or whether Webb is “more susceptible to damage from micrometeoroids than previously predicted by modeling.” from the launch”. They are now working to determine how other micrometeoroids could affect Webb’s mirrors, how many of these asteroid fragments exist, and whether the telescope should be adjusted to spend less time facing the orbital motion, where it may be at greater risk of hit by a micrometeoroid. Depending on fuel usage and expected telescope degradation, Webb could survive for more than 20 years, according to engineers. It launched into space in December from French Guiana in South America and reached its lookout point 1 million miles from Earth in January. Then began the long process of aligning the mirrors, cooling the infrared detectors enough to operate, and calibrating the science instruments, all protected by a tennis court-sized shade that keeps the telescope cool. The first images of Webb, which gave us the deepest view of both time and distance we’ve ever seen, were released last week. With one exception, the latest images showed parts of the universe seen from other telescopes. But Webb’s sheer power, remote location far from Earth and use of the infrared light spectrum showed them in a new light.
This image released by NASA on Tuesday, July 12, 2022, shows the Southern Ring Nebula for the first time in infrared light. It is a hot, dense white dwarf star, according to NASA. (NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI via AP) This image provided by NASA on Tuesday, July 12, 2022, shows Stephan’s Quintet, an optical grouping of five galaxies captured by the Webb Space Telescope’s Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam) and Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI). This mosaic was made from nearly 1,000 separate image files, according to NASA. (NASA, ESA, CSA and STScI via AP) This image provided by NASA on Monday, July 11, 2022, shows the galaxy cluster SMACS 0723, captured by the James Webb Space Telescope. The telescope is designed to look back so far that scientists can glimpse the dawn of the universe some 13.7 billion years ago and zoom in on closer cosmic objects, even our own solar system , with sharper focus. (NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI via AP) This image released by NASA on Tuesday, July 12, 2022, shows the bright star at the center of NGC 3132, the Southern Ring Nebula, for the first time in near-infrared light. (NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI via AP) FILE – In this April 13, 2017 photo provided by NASA, technicians lift the mirror of the James Webb Space Telescope using a crane at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. a look at the dawn of the universe some 13.7 billion years ago and zoom in on closer cosmic objects, even our own solar system, in sharper focus. (Laura Betz/NASA via AP, File) This image released by NASA on Tuesday, July 12, 2022, combined the capabilities of the James Webb Space Telescope’s two cameras to create a previously unknown image of a star-forming region in the Carina Nebula. This combined image, captured in infrared light by the Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) and the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI), reveals previously unseen regions of star birth. (NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI via AP) This combination of images released by NASA on Tuesday, July 12, 2022, shows a side-by-side comparison of observations of the Southern Ring Nebula in near-infrared light, left, and in mid-infrared light, right, from the Webb Telescope. (NASA, ESA, CSA and STScI via AP) FILE – This 2015 artist’s rendering provided by Northrop Grumman through NASA shows the James Webb Space Telescope. The telescope is designed to look back so far that scientists will glimpse the dawn of the universe some 13.7 billion years ago and zoom in on closer cosmic objects, even our own solar system, with more sharp focus. (Northrop Grumman/NASA via AP, File) This image provided by NASA on Tuesday, July 12, 2022, shows Stephan’s Quintet, an optical grouping of five galaxies captured by the Webb Space Telescope’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI). (NASA, ESA, CSA and STScI via AP)
The plan is to use the telescope to look back so far that scientists can glimpse the early days of the universe some 13.7 billion years ago and zoom in on closer cosmic objects, even our own. solar system, in sharper focus. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
