Learn1 of 3
A Golden Eye in Space
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) launched on Christmas Day 2021. Its 6.5-meter gold-coated mirror is the largest ever sent to space — made of 18 hexagonal segments that unfolded like origami after launch. JWST orbits the sun at a point 1.5 million kilometers from Earth (4 times farther than the moon!) where it has an unobstructed view of deep space.