The James Webb Space Telescope is the next excellent space science observatory following Hubble, developed to answer impressive questions about the Universe and to make breakthrough discoveries in all fields of astronomy. After launch, the James Webb Space Telescope traveled to its orbital location. Webb will perform its science objective while orbiting a place in area, called the second Lagrange point, or L2 for short. Unlike the Hubble Space Telescope, Webbs orbit keeps the spacecraft out of the Earths shadow making L2 a thermally stable area for the observatory to run at.
The telescopes optics and instruments require to be kept really cold to be able to observe the extremely faint infrared signals of really far-off objects plainly. This location is ideal for Webbs sunshield to block out light and heat from the Sun, Earth, and Moon. Unlike the Hubble Space Telescope, Webbs orbit keeps the spacecraft out of the Earths shadow making L2 a thermally stable location for the observatory to run at.
Webb will operate within its field of regard. The “field of regard” refers to the angles the telescope can move while remaining in the shadow of the Sun. Each of Webbs instruments has its own field of view. The field of vision is the location of sky an instrument can observe. Webbs great steering mirror is moved so that an object can be observed by the various instruments. This prevents the entire telescope from having to repoint itself to do so.
The Webb Telescopes commissioning process will be complete around 6 months after launch, at which time Webb begin its science objective. Helping to reveal more of the secrets of our Universe.
By NASAs Goddard Space Flight
January 26, 2022
The James Webb Space Telescope is the next fantastic area science observatory following Hubble, designed to address exceptional concerns about the Universe and to make advancement discoveries in all fields of astronomy. Webb will see further into our origins: from the formation of worlds and stars, to the birth of the first galaxies in the early Universe. Credit: ESA/ATG medialab
After launch, the James Webb Space Telescope traveled to its orbital destination. Webb will perform its science mission while orbiting a location in space, called the 2nd Lagrange point, or L2 for short. L2 is located one million miles from Earth.
As Webb orbits L2, the telescope remains in line with Earth as it circumnavigates the Sun. L2 is a point where the gravitational impacts of the Earth and Sun balance the centripetal force of a small item orbiting with them.