Questions tagged [space-telescope]
A telescope placed in space, typically for the purpose of avoiding atmospheric distortion, background light, and attenuation of light by the atmosphere.
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How exactly does the JWST (James Webb Space Telescope) "see" light from so far away? [closed]
As commonly known, the James Webb Space Telescope (JSWT) has been sent to Lagrange point 2 (L2) to receive reports from the past of the universe, and it does this by measuring several factors such as ...
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HST can apparently operate in one-gyro mode, if need be. Why was the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory de-orbited when it lost one of its three gyros?
If HST has been reduced to 2 fully functioning gyros, I read that they plan to turn off one gyro and run in single-gyro mode to save the second functioning gyro. The Compton Gamma Ray Observatory had ...
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Why is the aperture door of the Hubble Space Telescope so weirdly shaped?
Why is the door not rounder?
I understand it's main purpose is to block sunlight from entering the telescope.
Especially the right side (in the provided image) seems to waste material.
But also the ...
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How much will NASA save by shutting down the Chandra X-Ray Observatory?
Dr Patrick Slane, director of the Chandra X-ray Center, has sent A Letter to the Chandra Community explaining that NASA plans to close down the Chandra project due to budget constraints.
NASA say that:...
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If the largest spy satellites could take pictures, how detailed would they be?
This question is inspired by the NRO's Orion Satellites. These are surveillance satellites placed near geostationary altitude that measure radio emissions.
Importantly, they have been described as the ...
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Would electrically powered thrusters on JWST have made it last for decades longer?
Since the lifespan of the James Webb Space Telescope is determined by the amount of fuel it can carry for its thrusters, used to decelerate the reaction wheels used to orient the telescope, and since ...
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What is the advantage of optical astronomy over infrared astronomy in space telescopes?
The Habitable Worlds Observatory, the proposed successor to the James Webb has an identically sized 6.5 meter mirror but operates primarily in visible light. Infrared telescopes like Webb have the ...
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How redshifted galaxies will JWST be able to detect? [closed]
I see that the MIRI camera/spectrograph on JWST has an operational wavelength span between 5 and 28 micrometers. Now visible not redshifted light has wavelengths between 400 and 700 nanometers. If ...
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Most accurate method to find exoplanets?
NASA has found thousands of exoplanets in space using their powerful telescopes. How exactly does NASA do so and what is the best method? I'm assuming that NASA uses some sort of sensor to detect ...
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What was the first space telescope to produce a 2D image with recognisable features?
I recently learned about the Orbiting Astronomical Observatories (OAO) program, a series of four space telescopes, the first launched already in 1966. Only two made it to orbit and entered operational ...
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Interesting diffraction pattern on JWST composite false-color image released today (July 11) at Biden preview - how does this arise?
There was an earlier question on the diffraction pattern in the Mar 16 test image that was mainly explained by the hexagonal shape of the individual mirror segments. Today's image has similar ...
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What caused the JWST Instrument Radiator temperature to start cooling faster on day 34?
As shown on the temperature plots, the D-Instrument Radiator temperature was slowly dropping after sunshield deployment. Around day 34, however, the temperature started to decrease faster than before....
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Why aren't off-axis reflector telescopes more popular for space telescopes? Have there ever been any?
It seems that:
The light gathering capabilities would be slightly better without the blocked aperture (clear aperture is a premium for fairing-limited space telescopes)
The diffraction patterns from ...
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When will the jwst python library have live data for the general public to work with in its data pipelines?
The Space Science Telescope Institute has put out a python library called JWST for science observations from James Webb Space Telescope.
When will the general public be able to look at "live"...
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What can/do astronauts look at with the portable telescopes aboard the ISS?
I would like to know what will be the visibility from the portable telescope aboard the International Space Station.
What could they potentially view, and what are (at least some of) the things they ...
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