Explanation:
Move over Hubble -- here comes the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).
JWST
promises to be the new most powerful telescope in space.
In the last month, the 18-segment gold-plated primary mirror for JWST was
unveiled.
In the
featured time-lapse video
taken last week, the 6.5-meter diameter mirror was raised to a vertical position.
The dramatic 30-second sequence shows NASA engineers monitoring the test as room
lights glint brightly off the mirror's highly reflective surface.
The beryllium
mirrors have been coated with a thin film of
gold
to make them more reflective to
infrared light.
The science goals of JWST
include studying the workings of the
early universe and the properties of planets orbiting
nearby stars.
Because of the mirror's great size, it will be folded for launch and then,
assuming all goes as planned, dramatically
unfolded again in space.
The JWST, a joint mission of the space agencies of the
USA,
Europe, and
Canada,
is currently scheduled to be launched in late 2018.
