The James Webb Space Telescope Has Been Performing As Well As Astronomers Had Hoped

NASA released a super-sharp image showing a bright star. It shows that the optics appear to be working flawlessly on the James Webb Space Telescope.

After decades of development and construction, the $10 billion infrared telescopes was launched in December. Astronomers were thrilled when it successfully emerged from space.

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Scientists now say that the 18 mirror segments are precisely aligned so they can act together as one large mirror measuring 21 feet in diameter.

“When the first images came up, we were at the mission control center, and it was an emotional moment,” said Lee Feinberg Webb, Webb’s optical telescope manager at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland. “The optical performance of this telescope is amazing, and I’m very happy about it,” says Webb. It really works extremely well.”