The James Webb Space Telescope will observe the first galaxies formed after the Big Bang, but for this its instruments must first be cooled, and many more. The good news is that the web’s hottest device has now reached a temperature just above zero, the ideal temperature for its operation.

NASA announced The Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) recently reached its final operating temperature of 7 Kelvin (minus 447 degrees Fahrenheit or minus 266 degrees Celsius).

The web’s four devices detect infrared light, which requires a lower temperature, and the wavelength is slightly longer than what human eyes can see. Distant galaxies, stars hidden in dust clouds, and planets outside our solar system emit infrared light. But so are other hot items, including the web’s own electronic and optical hardware. Cooling the detectors on all four devices and the surrounding hardware suppresses these infrared emissions. MIRI detects infrared wavelengths longer than the other three devices, which means it must be much cooler, the European agency explains.

According to the statement From ESA, another reason why web detectors need to be cool is to suppress the current created by the dark current or the vibration of the atoms in the detectors themselves. Dark current detectors mimic an actual signal, giving the false impression that they are affected by light from an external source. Those false signals will drown out the actual signals that astronomers want to detect. Since temperature is a measure of how fast the atoms in the detector vibrate, the lower the temperature, the lower the vibration, i.e. the darker the current.

Does this mean that the largest space telescope is ready to explore the universe?

It was initially reported that the calibration alignment process would take approximately 6 months, so scientific work could begin by mid-2022. Another question may arise, what is next now or what is missing to prepare for it. ?

such as, NASA reported earlier this month The mirrors of the James Webb Space Telescope have completed the sixth phase of deployment with its scientific equipment, which will allow them to capture the most accurate and focused images possible. At the time, the team was waiting for the cooling of the Mid-Infrared Device (MIRI) to take the next step. So, next is the second multi-instrument lineup to make any final instrument and mirror adjustment if needed.

Teach me what science reports Formerly James Webb, the $ 10 billion engineering marvel, is now the world’s leading astronomical observatory. It is considered to be the successor to the legendary Hubble Space Telescope, but will not be a replacement, as missions will complement each other as long as its equipment continues to operate.

It orbits Lagrange point 2 (L2) at a distance of 1.5 million km from the Earth in the opposite direction to the Sun. From there it will solve the mysteries of our solar system, which will look into the distant worlds around other stars. Explore the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in them.