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The Webb Telescope

The Webb Telescope

Science

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A fascinating article from yesterday at NASA:

https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2022/geology-from-50-light-years-webb-gets-ready-to-study-rocky-worlds

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@Liljo
The whole world is waiting for the conditioning and testing subsystems to be done so it can start its real mission. So far just tantalizing hints of its power.

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In late May the Webb got hit with what reports are calling a "micrometeoroid." Supposedly there is no major damage, but reports are just starting to come in.

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2323498-james-webb-space-telescope-was-hit-by-a-tiny-space-rock-but-its-ok/

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@Liljo
Jeez and OF COURSE it had to hit one of the main mirrors. Nice way to start a show🙂
At least Hubbard is closed in, it would be hard for a micrometeor to get to the actual mirror. Webb is just sitting there, mirrors wide open to space.

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@sonhouse said
@Liljo
Jeez and OF COURSE it had to hit one of the main mirrors. Nice way to start a show🙂
At least Hubbard is closed in, it would be hard for a micrometeor to get to the actual mirror. Webb is just sitting there, mirrors wide open to space.
So far they are saying "no major damage" but then, what else WOULD they say?

If this does impact performance, I must admit I will be very disappointed. The object that hit was larger than anything they tested for before launch.

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For a tidbit of hopefulness:
https://blogs.nasa.gov/webb/2022/06/08/webb-engineered-to-endure-micrometeoroid-impacts/

https://www.space.com/james-webb-space-telescope-suffers-micrometeoroid-impacts

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@Liljo
That's exactly what my first concern was -- damage by space pebbles. We can only hope that these impacts don't repeat, and that Webby hasn't already suffered degradation.

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@bunnyknight
I guess it depends on just how micro the meteor is. Size of a marble, coming in at 60km per second, goodbye that segment....

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Poor design in my opinion.

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@lipareeno said
Poor design in my opinion.
Maybe reading this article will change your opinion.

https://blogs.nasa.gov/webb/2022/06/

The Webb was built to sustain bombardments of space dust and particles for the entirety of its mission.

With any endeavor of this magnitude, there are risks.

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@sonhouse said
@bunnyknight
I guess it depends on just how micro the meteor is. Size of a marble, coming in at 60km per second, goodbye that segment....
Yes indeed. And if it's a 20 meter meteor my hunch tells me it would probably be even worse.

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Meanwhile the Webb Telescope has picked up an alien armada headed straight for us and more than blue-shifted.

(What a poor joke. That would probably put them outside of the Webb's frequency range.)

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I heard they are developing The Jack Webb Telescope. It automatically seeks out just the facts.

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@kevin-eleven said
Meanwhile the Webb Telescope has picked up an alien armada headed straight for us and more than blue-shifted.

(What a poor joke. That would probably put them outside of the Webb's frequency range.)
I have no worries. Those aliens are only coming to help us. Rumor has it they even made a beautiful book titled "How to Serve Man", so relax everyone.

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@lipareeno said
Poor design in my opinion.
LOL. I read this as a 10 year old childs inner thought while watching a high speed car crash in which all passengers survived with minor injuries.

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