{"id":6568,"date":"2021-12-22T06:35:44","date_gmt":"2021-12-22T06:35:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.star-gazing.co.uk\/WebPage\/?p=6568"},"modified":"2022-01-03T10:41:29","modified_gmt":"2022-01-03T10:41:29","slug":"wst-spotting-20211222","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.star-gazing.co.uk\/WebPage\/wst-spotting-20211222\/","title":{"rendered":"Webb Space Telescope – Spot it after launch."},"content":{"rendered":"

The Webb Space Telescope was finally successfully launched on Christmas Day.
\nNo more delays now then!<\/p>\n

It is now making its way\u00a0 to the L2 point 1 million miles (1.5m km) from Earth and is now further away from Earth than The Moon.<\/p>\n

The Ariane launch was so accurate, very little fuel needs to be used to get to the L2 point.
\nThis means Webb will have an operational life in excess of 10 years. Bonus!<\/p>\n

The sunshield has now been unfurled.
\nThe layers will now be separated and tensioned, which will take a number of days.
\nThis has now been delayed until the 3rd of January.
\nAll going fantastic so far, but it still has a long way to go before we can all breathe a sigh of relief.<\/p>\n

\"Webb-Config-20220101-1\"<\/p>\n

I have an animation of the deployment sequence on my Webb Introduction:
\nhttps:\/\/www.star-gazing.co.uk\/WebPage\/planetarium\/stem-webb-space-telescope<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

There is also another one describing the infra-red light Webb will “see”:
\nhttps:\/\/www.star-gazing.co.uk\/WebPage\/planetarium\/stem-webb-infra-red-light<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Thanks to Nick James from the BAA for pointing out that we may be able to pick it up in our telescopes in the days following launch as it travels to the L2 point.:
\nhttps:\/\/britastro.org\/node\/26452<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

I managed to capture Webb on its journey on New Years Eve.<\/p>\n

Horizons was a little bit out, but Webb was in my first field of view.
\nI managed to identify Webb by comparing two images like a blink comparator.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The images I took over an hour or more were put together into a composite to show a trail:
\n<\/a><\/p>\n

These were then used to create an animation:<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

I have posted details on how to produce your own predictions of Webb’s position at the bottom of this page.<\/p>\n

Those of you who follow me online, know that I just love a challenge, and this really does excite me.
\nI have already managed to catch Rosetta on one of its Earth flybys, and Gaia just after that was launched.<\/p>\n

I’ll never forget the thrill of spotting a star moving across the lower part of Leo on evening of the 4th of March 2005.
\nThis meant I had managed to spot the Rosetta probe on it’s way around the solar system before its encounter with Comet 67P, then deploying Philae onto the comets nucleus. I’m sure that if I do manage to spot Webb, clouds permitting, this will give me much the same thrill.<\/p>\n

But there has been no chance of doing anything with Webb yet, as it has been permanently cloudy, misty and drizzly here throughout Christmas.<\/p>\n

In fact, at the L2 point where Webb is going to be located once it is in the correct position, it will stay visible from Earth.
\nIt also be visible in the days it takes to make its way from Earth as the various parts of the telescope are deployed.<\/p>\n

We will not be able to see the shape of Webb as it will be far too small to resolve.
\nBut it will be visible as it reflects sunlight, looking like a star-like point moving in front of the more distant background stars.
\nThere may also be the possibility of seeing the upper stage of the rocket moving close to it for a while after they have separated.<\/p>\n

How bright will Webb be? That’s a question and a half. I don’t think anyone really knows.
\nHorizons does not generate magnitude estimates for it.
\nObservers \/ imagers who managed to have clear skies to capture it initially, reported it was between 12th & 13th Magnitude.
\nOthers have reported that it is 15th magnitude.
\nI’ll just have to keep looking out for updates on this.
\nIt should brighten once the sunshield is fully deployed.<\/p>\n

Update 27th of December.
\n<\/strong><\/span>Over the next few weeks, The JWST is to the east of Orion’s belt.
\nThe maps below shows its positions up until the 22nd of January as seen from my location.
\nIt will slowly be migrating eastwards each night, keeping it reasonably visible in the night sky, if it remains bright enough to be captured.
\n\"Webb-Path20211227-20220122\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Someone also managed to capture a flare off Webb:<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

I caught a bright flare of the @NASAWebb<\/a> at 2:08 UT. It returned to normal brightness by 2:10 UT. Here's a blink between 1 minute exposures taken at 2:08 and 2:10 UT. Was JWST adjusting its attitude after the correction burn, did I catch the sun glinting off it as it rotated? pic.twitter.com\/Ec3UibcLfb<\/a><\/p>\n

— Astronomy Live (@astroferg) December 26, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n