James Webb releases first images

After six months of travel, testing and calibration of instruments, the first images taken by the largest space telescope ever built are to be revealed


JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE

Hubble 2.4m 
Webb 6.5m

Lagrange point 2
Webb orbits 1.5 million km from Earth in spot where gravitational pull from Earth and sun
balance out

Earth orbit
SUN
Hubble orbit, 570km
Moon orbit


Primary mirror
18 gold-plated beryllium hexagons gather more light than Hubble telescope

Integrated Science Instrument Module (ISIM) 
Four instruments

Secondary mirror
Reflects light from primary mirror into science instruments

Sunshield: Keeps telescope at -223C, essential to see faint infrared light without interference

Trim flap
Helps stabilize satellite

Solar power array

Earth-pointing antenna

Spacecraft bus: Control, power and other support systems

Star trackers

Seeing infrared
Focus on infrared range of electromagnetic spectrum allows Webb to observe objects too old and too distant for Hubble to see


Hubble 
Webb
Radio waves 	Infrared 	Visible 	Ultraviolet 	X-rays


Age of universe (billions of years)
Webb can see far enough to explore universe 100-250m years after Big Bang, when stars and galaxies began to form

0 – Big Bang
Hubble
Webb
13.8bn – Today


Sources: NASA, ESA, CSA
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