What is gravitational lensing and how can the James Webb Telescope use it?

If you’ve seen the first images from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) this week (and let’s face it, how could you not?), you might have heard the term “gravitational lensing” being thrown around. But what does it mean exactly? And how can it help … Continue reading What is gravitational lensing and how can the James Webb Telescope use it?

James Webb vs Hubble: Side-by-side comparisons highlight visual gains

By now you’ve no doubt seen the first batch of images from NASA’s powerful new eye in the sky, the James Webb Space Telescope. But the scope of the achievement can be hard to appreciate without context, so here they are side-by-side with Hubble’s views… Continue reading James Webb vs Hubble: Side-by-side comparisons highlight visual gains

Hackaday Links: June 19, 2022

Hackaday Links Column Banner

The James Webb Space Telescope has had a long and sometimes painful journey from its earliest conception to its ultimate arrival at Lagrange point L2 and subsequent commissioning. Except for …read more Continue reading Hackaday Links: June 19, 2022

Hackaday Links: June 12, 2022

Hackaday Links Column Banner

“Don’t worry, that’ll buff right out.” Alarming news this week as the James Webb Space Telescope team announced that a meteoroid had hit the space observatory’s massive primary mirror. While …read more Continue reading Hackaday Links: June 12, 2022

James Webb damaged in micrometeoroid impact, image quality remains high

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has suffered a new setback, sustaining a micrometeoroid impact to one of its mirror segments. While larger than the impacts anticipated during ground testing, the science team says that the telescope should still b… Continue reading James Webb damaged in micrometeoroid impact, image quality remains high

About As Cold As It Gets: The Webb Telescope’s Cryocooler

If you were asked to name the coldest spot in the solar system, chances are pretty good you’d think it would be somewhere as far as possible from the ultimate …read more Continue reading About As Cold As It Gets: The Webb Telescope’s Cryocooler

James Webb snaps first in-focus image – and photobombs another spacecraft

The James Webb Space Telescope has snapped its first in-focus image. The milestone comes after the mission team spent the last few weeks aligning its mirrors, and the telescope is now set to meet or even exceed its original science goals. It was also r… Continue reading James Webb snaps first in-focus image – and photobombs another spacecraft