The digital camera in your home shares a family tree with the James Webb Space Telescope. Webb’s instruments use “detectors,” similar to the sensors in digital cameras, to convert images into a digital signal. At the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California, the detectors are undergoing temperature and vibration testing.... Read More

The Webb Space Telescope’s orbit will place it out of reach of astronauts, so it’s important to have perfect control of the telescope from Earth. At Northrop Grumman, engineers are testing the telescope’s responses to controllers and simulating the conditions it’ll face in space.... Read More

Webb’s giant primary mirror is its most striking feature, but several more mirrors help control the flow of light through the telescope. Meet the secondary, tertiary, and fine-steering mirrors.... Read More

The Webb Space Telescope’s mirror has nearly seven times the area of the Hubble Space Telescope’s. In order to launch it into space, the mirror is made out of segments that will be folded up inside the rocket that carries it into orbit. At Marshall Space Flight Center, segments are being tested in the vacuum chamber to expose them to space temperatures.... Read More

The Webb Space Telescope will need to be extraordinarily cold in order to see the infrared light from the farthest reaches of the universe. Webb’s enormous sunshield will protect the telescope’s instruments from the Sun’s energy.... Read More

The making of the Webb Space Telescope’s mirrors is a complex process. Each surface must be precisely shaped to capture and direct the maximum amount of light to the telescope’s detectors. The mirrors must be ground and polished to a smooth curve that keeps light from bouncing off in unwanted directions. Join us at Tinsley Laboratories in Richmond, Calif., where engineers are bringing Webb’s mirrors to their exact requirements.... Read More

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Backyard stargazers get a monthly guide to the northern hemisphere’s skywatching events with “Tonight’s Sky.” In March, the constellations of spring appear, heralding the change in seasons. Look for Gemini and Cancer as they dominate the night sky. “Tonight’s Sky” is produced by HubbleSite.org, online home of the Hubble Space Telescope. This is a recurring show, and you can find more episodes — and other astronomy videos — at HubbleSite.org.... Read More