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JWST Update 08:34 - Jan 25 with 703 views

Now arrived, and successfully inserted into it's orbit around L2.

This is huge, another critical step ticked off. ~5 months of commissioning before the first real images come back

It's going to be insane.

Poll:

England v Wales Score

JWST Update on 08:40 - Jan 25 with 674 views

SonOfSpock

This is brilliant - one of the reasons I'd try and encourage any youngsters to try and get into STEM jobs. Imagine being in the first group of people to see pictures start coming in!

Space exploration and tech is going to be massive the next 10 years, bring it on.

JWST Update on 08:46 - Jan 25 with 654 views

The_Flashing_Smile

What actually is L2? It's just an area of space is it?

Trust the process. Trust Phil.

JWST Update on 08:52 - Jan 25 with 643 views

Guthrum

JWST Update on 08:46 - Jan 25 by The_Flashing_Smile
What actually is L2? It's just an area of space is it?

Lagrange Point 2, a point where the gravitational and rotational forces balance out to make it stable in relation to the two celestial bodies involved (in this case, Earth and the Sun). So it stays in the same position in relation to those two.

L2 is "in line with" Earth, but orbiting the Sun a bit further out.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagrange_point

[Post edited 25 Jan 2022 8:53]

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JWST Update on 08:59 - Jan 25 with 622 views

Samuelowen88

JWST Update on 08:46 - Jan 25 by The_Flashing_Smile
What actually is L2? It's just an area of space is it?

L2 is a point in space.

However JWST will actually orbit this point:

Another milestone complete! âœ…

Today's orbital insertion burn today was a success! #Webb has now arrived to its final orbit around the second Sun-Earth Lagrange point ("L2") around 1.5 million kilometres away (animation ðŸ‘‡). Details: https://t.co/DlriNEVjcM ðŸ“·: @NASAGoddard pic.twitter.com/guBF1eubSP
— ESA Webb Telescope (@ESA_Webb) January 24, 2022

Poll:

England v Wales Score

JWST Update on 09:28 - Jan 25 with 605 views

farkenhell

Thanks for posting this. I happened to tell my kids about it at breakfast this morning.

Does anyone know the length of the span of the mirrors (to save me looking it up)? My boy asked me how big the telescope is, to which I tried to fudge by explaining that the mirrors had to be folded to 1.5 metres before launch. He then replied "that's not what I asked."

Don't you hate it when they do that!

JWST Update on 09:31 - Jan 25 with 595 views

Samuelowen88

JWST Update on 09:28 - Jan 25 by farkenhell
Thanks for posting this. I happened to tell my kids about it at breakfast this morning. Does anyone know the length of the span of the mirrors (to save me looking it up)? My boy asked me how big the telescope is, to which I tried to fudge by explaining that the mirrors had to be folded to 1.5 metres before launch. He then replied "that's not what I asked." Don't you hate it when they do that!

6.5m Mirror:

Poll:

England v Wales Score

JWST Update on 09:34 - Jan 25 with 593 views

Churchman

They need to crack on though. I mean, it only used to take a couple of weeks to get my holiday snaps back from Trueprint. What are they doing, for goodness sake?

JWST Update on 09:40 - Jan 25 with 580 views

farkenhell

JWST Update on 09:31 - Jan 25 by Samuelowen88
6.5m Mirror:

Thanks mate

JWST Update on 09:48 - Jan 25 with 571 views

NthQldITFC

JWST Update on 08:52 - Jan 25 by Guthrum
Lagrange Point 2, a point where the gravitational and rotational forces balance out to make it stable in relation to the two celestial bodies involved (in this case, Earth and the Sun). So it stays in the same position in relation to those two. L2 is "in line with" Earth, but orbiting the Sun a bit further out. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lagrange_point [Post edited 25 Jan 2022 8:53]

I've just been staring at this for ten minutes or so. Will it make me go blind?

It looks to me like there are subtle differences in the iso-gravs or whatever they are called between the top half and the bottom. Assuming this has been produced mathematically, are those differences real, I wonder, effects of the moon's orbit?

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JWST Update on 09:56 - Jan 25 with 562 views

Samuelowen88

JWST Update on 09:48 - Jan 25 by NthQldITFC
I've just been staring at this for ten minutes or so. Will it make me go blind? It looks to me like there are subtle differences in the iso-gravs or whatever they are called between the top half and the bottom. Assuming this has been produced mathematically, are those differences real, I wonder, effects of the moon's orbit?

The different Lagrange points show there have different properties.

All based on their position relative to Earth and the Sun (other Solar System objects have an effect too but mainly those two)

All Lagrange points orbit the Sun, and stay in the same location relative to Earth.

L2 had to be chosen for JWST, even though the others would have had the same effect of holding it steady and needing zero (minimal) fuel to keep it there. Because on L2 has both the Sun and the Earth directly behind it, allowing the sail on JWST to keep instruments in total darkness the whole time.

Poll:

England v Wales Score

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