“
We will be able to
view the Universe
at unprecedented
sensitivity, which will
help us to solve the
mysteries of galaxy
birth as well as the
formation of solar
systems – a key to
understanding our
own origins.”
NIRCam’s flight modules are assembled and engraved permanently with “Go Girl Scouts”
to honor the team’s partners in STEM education. Photo: NIRCam Team, University of Arizona
12
12
– Professor Martin Ward
Once the JWST is in space and MIRI goes Hubble and become the world’s benchmark for
operational it will open up the cosmos to imaging the wonders of deep space.”
astronomers by giving them views of colder, more
MIRI’s
camera
will
provide
wide-field,
distant objects than has ever been seen before. broadband imaging that will undoubtedly
MIRI’s camera and spectrograph will observe light continue to impress humanity with incredible
with wavelengths in the mid-infrared range of the views of the universe same as Hubble. However,
electromagnetic spectrum of five microns to 28 unlike Hubble’s cameras, MIRI will see objects 10
microns – longer wavelengths than a human eye to 100 times fainter than Hubble can see, and
can detect and even beyond the 0.6 micron to its spectrograph will enable medium-resolution
five micron wavelength range of Webb’s other spectroscopy, providing new physical details
three instruments.
of the distant objects it will observe. Regions of
“Using
this
mid-infrared
instrument we will be able to view
the Universe at unprecedented
sensitivity, which will help us to solve
the mysteries of galaxy birth as well
as the formation of solar systems
– a key to understanding our own
origins,” said Professor Martin Ward,
UK Science Co-Investigator on the
MIRI project from the University of
Arizona Department of Physics and
Astronomy.
“The
sensitive
spectroscopy
provided by MIRI is especially
important as it contains many
unique spectral and diagnostic
features that will enable us to study
the properties and materials around
forming stars in extreme detail,”
said Dr Gillian Wright, European
Consortium Principal Investigator
for MIRI. “With MIRI onboard the Ball Aerospace lead optical test engineer Dave Chaney inspects six primary mirror
JWST will continue the legacy of segments prior to cryogenic testing.
Photo: NASA/MSFC/David Higginbotham
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