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Mirror, mirror on the wall

. . . . on the wall. Who’s the sharpest of them all? The James Webb Space Telescope’s mirror is truly remarkable. Size Matters: Its primary mirror is 6.5 meters in diameter, significantly larger than any previous space telescope. This larger size allows it to collect more light, enabling it to see farther and with greater detail.

The mirror is coated with a thin layer of gold, which is highly reflective in the infrared spectrum. This allows the telescope to detect faint infrared light from distant galaxies, which is crucial for studying the early universe. NASA was a key part of the development of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), but it was a collaboration between NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA)

And why is this of interest for us mere mortals? This will give us an even better understanding of us and our place in space: especially since we seem to be hell-bent on destroying Earth. We’re sure you’re the kind who wants to know. Of course, NASA are big into this kind of thing. You should be, too. Click here to get up to speed.

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