James Webb Space Telescope

James Webb has left the atmosphere! Merry Christmas (so far)!

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Live stream

it would be more of an anomaly for there to oxygen and no life than for there to be life at all

oxygen is a very versatile element and makes endless varieties of compounds and processes possible

33,000 miles traveled, 865,000 to go!

I was able to actually catch the launch live due to timing. Wife was in the shower and son hadn’t gotten up yet.

Did I understand correctly…

One of the things that Hubble had available was repair missions. However Webb, at the lagrange point, will not have that capability. So I was thinking about a fixed quantity of thruster fuel for maneuvering (which at a LP is minimum for orbit) but I was thinking would still be needed for rotation to point. I thought I heard a throw away sentence that the Webb will be using rotational gyros that would be powered by electricity from the solar panels for rotational purposes. Meaning thruster fuel can be conserved.

Does that make sense?

WW

Well, she’s up there. Good god that was terrifying. Now on to step 4 of 4738985699!

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I believe it is the most reactive element we know.

Yep … There is a ton of things that can still go wrong. :neutral_face:

Alkali metals and halogens.

I guess biggest concern is unfolding the sun-shield/heat shield.

Well that was educational lol. I had to read about it of course. I have no idea why I thought that. :man_shrugging:

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We’re all learning in this thread. lol

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Astronomers just recently discovered over 70 rogue exoplanets wandering around our own galaxy using infrared telescopes similar to but smaller than the Webb. Most are gas giants that still retain a heat signature. They suspect there are billions of them.

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Nah. It’s getting the vcr to stop flashing 12:00

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JWST is further out than the closest approach of the Moon now.

This one goes here.

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Let’s hope not. :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes: :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes: :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:

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I just learned this just now … the Webb will orbit L2 perpendicularly to the planetary plane.

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Isn’t that what I just posted? :face_with_raised_eyebrow: