The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has published the first set of test images from all of its instruments, demonstrating in an impressive manner that its 6.5 meter mirror, which consists of 18 segments that need to be aligned very precisely, is now fully aligned. The set includes images taken with the MIRI and NIRSPEC instruments, parts of which were constructed at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Heidelberg (MPIA). The completion of mirror alignment marks the beginning of the instrument commissioning phase, where MIRI, NIRSPEC and two additional instruments will become fully operational.
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