JWST’s Optical Telescope Element
Chris Gunn/NASA
These photos provide a glimpse into the decades-long project of creating the James Webb Space Telescope, or JWST. Launched on Christmas Day in 2021, the telescope captured its first image in July 2022, revealing a field of previously unseen galaxies with unprecedented clarity. Since then, it has made discoveries such as new exoplanets and observations of the area around a supermassive black hole, challenging existing knowledge of the early universe and astronomical objects like nebulae.
A new book called “Inside the Star Factory” by photographer Chris Gunn and writer Christopher Wanjek chronicles the conception, development, and launch of the JWST. One of the photos from 2017, featured in the book, showcases the JWST’s Optical Telescope Element (OTE), often referred to as its “eye.” This component consists of 18 gold-plated mirrors that together form a 6.5-meter-wide reflector designed for capturing infrared light.
One of the key features that sets JWST apart from its predecessor, the Hubble Space Telescope, is its ability to observe in infrared light, enabling it to explore interstellar distances beyond the visible light spectrum. Additionally, JWST boasts a much larger reflector, six times the size of Hubble’s, allowing for the visualization of distant objects and phenomena.
The OTE and reflector are undergoing a nighttime, lights-off inspection
Chris Gunn/NASA
In the above image, the OTE and reflector are seen undergoing a nighttime, lights-off inspection. The image below captures the moment of unveiling the mirrors, with an engineer carefully assessing the surface of one mirror for any defects.
“I remember standing in the glow of the gold and realizing that I had never stood next to something so precious,” Gunn writes in the book, which will be released on October 17.
Topics:
- James Webb space telescope
