NASA has released new images of the James Webb Telescope that was hit by a meteor in its main mirror. The impact was caused in May and was detailed in a document released last week.
The document details that some micrometeorites that hit the mirror of the James Webb telescope caused minor damage, but at another time, other micrometeorites caused greater impacts.
Unlike the Hubble Space Telescope, the James Webb Space Telescope has a primary mirror that is used to collect light and focus light on scientific instruments into a cylindrical shell dividing the mirror into 6,5 meters and exposing it to space.
"The impact of a single smaller meteorite that occurred May 22-24, 2022 UT exceeded previous predictions of damage from a single smaller meteorite, leading to further investigation and modeling by the JWST Project," the report said.
During the testing period, experts tested the telescope's mirrors by subjecting it to six precise meteorite strikes. Five of these attacks did little damage, something that the traces caused in the mirror and light-gathering impacts can be corrected.
The sixth attack did more damage to the mirror but it could still be corrected and adjusted to maintain light gathering accuracy.
"It remains unclear whether the May 2022 impact of Section C3 is a rare event (i.e., an unfortunate early strike by a small, high-kinetic meteor that can statistically occur only once every several years) or whether it could be the telescope is more susceptible to micrometeorite damage than previous launch modeling,” point the report.
The report also indicates that ways to contain these meteorite attacks are being studied, as well as how long the telescope can be directed to areas of greater possibility of attacks.
Keeping the James Webb Telescope in good condition is a priority for NASA and other astronomers alike.
The launch of the James Webb Space Telescope took place on the 25th of December, from French Guiana. The trusty Ariane 5 rocket was used to put the behemoth into orbit.
The new telescope comes from a t effort between NASA, the ESA (European Space Agency) and the Canadian Space Agency. James Web is also able to search for information about the first galaxies in the universe, including a wide exploration of our solar system, including: planets, stars, as well as planets that are not part of our solar system (exoplanets).
Thanks to its infrared observation technology, James Webb is able to observe the first stars and galaxies formed more than 13,5 billion years ago, giving astronomers the possibility to understand more deeply the origin of the Universe.
Interestingly, the main mirror of the James Webb Telescope It is about 6,5 meters in diameter, which justifies its transportation when folded, since it would be impossible to transport it on the rocket in its open format.
However, for the wings of the Telescope to open, it was necessary for NASA to carry out “a complex and challenging task”, becoming the most important project for the future of research by the American agency.
More than $10 billion has been spent on this project, with the promise of finally tracing the universe back to the Big Bang. Now, James Webb will be able to reveal new and unexpected discoveries and help humanity to understand the origins of the universe and our place in it.
With information Minute More.
