NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope got thwacked, and it’ll probably get thwacked again.
Last week, NASA revealed that one of JWST’s primary mirror segments, shown here, was damaged by a larger than expected micrometeoroid.On June 8th, NASA revealed that its new powerful space observatory, the James Webb Space Telescope, is now sporting a small dimple in one of its primary mirrors after getting pelted by a larger-than-expected micrometeoroid out in deep space.
Despite what its name implies, space isn’t exactly empty. Within our Solar System, tiny bits of space dust are zooming through the regions between our planets at whopping speeds that can reach up to tens of thousands of miles per hour. These micrometeoroids, no larger than a grain of sand, are often little pieces of asteroids or comets that have broken away and are now orbiting around the Sun. And they’re everywhere.
But with NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, or JWST, it’s trickier. The telescope’s gold-coated mirrors must be exposed to the space environment in order to properly gather light from the distant Universe. And while these mirrors were built to withstand some impacts, they are more or less sitting ducks for larger micrometeoroid strikes, like the one that hit JWST in May.
Spacecraft operators model the micrometeoroid population out in space to get a better understanding of how often a spacecraft might get hit in any given part of the Solar System — and what size particles might be thwacking their hardware. But even then, it’s not a foolproof system. “It’s all probability,” David Malaspina, an astrophysicist at the University of Colorado focusing on cosmic dust impacts on spacecraft, tells.
Österreich Neuesten Nachrichten, Österreich Schlagzeilen
Similar News:Sie können auch ähnliche Nachrichten wie diese lesen, die wir aus anderen Nachrichtenquellen gesammelt haben.
Superhero Lit 101: Why Penguin Classics' Marvel Comics Anthologies MatterFrom Homer to Henry James to... Spider-Man. How a collaboration between Marvel and Penguin Classics resulted in scholarly, annotated hardcover editions of vintage superhero stories — and why it changes the conversation about comic books as a literary form
Weiterlesen »
Why Some People Refuse to Say They’re SorrySome people seem incapable of apologizing, even when they're clearly in the wrong. Here's why—and what that means for their relationships.
Weiterlesen »
Why Jonathan Taylor Should Go First Overall in Your Fantasy Draft.ZachCohenFB has who you should pick first overall in your fantasy draft this year and why you don't want it. FrontOffice33 | FantasyFootball
Weiterlesen »
Here’s Why “Never Complain, Never Explain” Has Been So Key to the Queen’s ReignLove it or hate it, it’s been her cornerstone.
Weiterlesen »
Why New Jersey and Oregon still don't let you pump your own gasEvery state has lifted its ban on self-service gas. Except for New Jersey and Oregon.
Weiterlesen »
Opinion | Why Biden's newest Saudi gamble appears disturbingly Trumpian.tparsi: Biden’s policy is increasingly looking like a continuation of Trump’s Middle East strategy.
Weiterlesen »