The James Webb Space Telescope (sometimes called JWST or Webb) is an orbiting infrared observatory that will complement and extend the discoveries of the Hubble Space Telescope, with longer wavelength coverage and greatly improved sensitivity.

The longer wavelengths enable Webb to look much closer to the beginning of time and to hunt for the unobserved formation of the first galaxies, as well as to look inside dust clouds where stars and planetary systems are forming today.

The James Webb Space Telescope launched on Dec. 25th 2021. It does not orbit around the Earth like the Hubble Space Telescope, it orbits the Sun 1.5 million kilometres (1 million miles) away from the Earth at what is called The Second Lagrange Point Or L2.

JWST MIRI instrument cryocooler image
JWST MIRI instrument cryocooler

Read about The JWST Cryocooler System Here.

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