The James Webb Telescope Of Disorders Until NASA Must Stop Observation

The James Webb Space Telescope experienced a technical error, (photo: NASA)

JAKARTA - One of the James Webb Space Telescope instruments experienced a technical error, and this event paralyzed a certain observation mode.

For months the Webb Telescope presented a beautiful image of activity in outer space, but the team behind the telescope detected a problem of one of the four observation modes in the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI).

It started at the end of last August when the team saw an increase in friction in one of the wheels used to switch between wavelengths at one MIRI mode, namely medium-resolution spectroscopy mode.

Then NASA finally decided to pause the observations using the mode temporarily on September 6, until the Webb Telescope team found a solution.

While other modes in MIRI are still fine and can continue observations. The Webb telescope has a total of 17 modes in its four instruments, each of which can be used to analyze molecules in planet formation, while other modes take into account galaxies that have long distances.

With MIRI too, the telescope can see wavelengths of light that are not visible to humans, such as the clear details of the new stars forming.

Previously, the Webb Telescope had also experienced an incident when a micro meteor hit one of its mirrors. Even so, the much older Hubble Space Telescope has always survived various technical problems during its long life in space.

The challenge is almost inevitable, so this is actually positive news that most of the Webb Telescope works properly.