The James Webb Space Telescope (sometimes called JWST) is a large, infrared-optimized
space telescope, scheduled for launch no
sooner than 2014. Webb will find
the first galaxies that formed in the early Universe, connecting the Big Bang
to our own Milky Way Galaxy. Webb will peer through dusty clouds to see stars
forming planetary systems, connecting the Milky Way to our own Solar System.
Webb's instruments will be designed to work primarily in the infrared range
of the electromagnetic spectrum, with some capability in the visible range.
Webb will have a large mirror, 6.5 meters (21.3 feet) in diameter
and a sunshield the size of a tennis court. Both the mirror and sunshade won't
fit onto the rocket fully open, so both will fold up and open once Webb
is in outer space. Webb will reside in an orbit about 1.5 million km (1 million
miles) from the Earth.
