JWST's Mirror Segments are Individually Aligned

JWST's Mirror Segments are Individually Aligned
Released on February 25, 2022, this image shows all 18 mirror segments that make up the primary mirror of the James Webb Space Telescope are all individually aligned. The 18 stars visible in this image are actually only one star that is copied 18 times. The several-step alignment procedure must first align each mirror segment. Once properly aligned, each segment is then updated to a position to overlap all 18 versions of the star into one position. The final step of segment alignment will be align the mirrors so they all function as one large mirror combined of 18 segments. Credit: NASA/STScI
Author:
Scott MacNeill
Entry Date:
Jan 28, 2022
Published Under:
Scott MacNeill's Media
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