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› Full SizeJames Webb Space Telescope Mirror 'Cans'
The powerful primary
mirrors of the James Webb Space Telescope will be able to detect the
light from distant galaxies. The manufacturer of those mirrors, Ball
Aerospace & Technologies Corp. of Boulder, Colo., recently
celebrated their successful efforts as mirror segments were packed up in
special shipping canisters (cans) for shipping to NASA.
The Webb telescope has 21 mirrors, with 18 primary mirror segments working together as one large 21.3-foot (6.5-meter) primary mirror. The mirror segments are made of beryllium, which was selected for its stiffness, light weight and stability at cryogenic temperatures. Bare beryllium is not very reflective of near-infrared light, so each mirror is coated with about 0.12 ounce of gold.
The Webb telescope has 21 mirrors, with 18 primary mirror segments working together as one large 21.3-foot (6.5-meter) primary mirror. The mirror segments are made of beryllium, which was selected for its stiffness, light weight and stability at cryogenic temperatures. Bare beryllium is not very reflective of near-infrared light, so each mirror is coated with about 0.12 ounce of gold.
Image Credit: Ball Aerospace
NASA
Guillermo Gonzalo Sánchez Achutegui
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