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The telescope has been in the works since 1996 and is a joint venture between NASA, the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency.

The satellite, which launched on Christmas Day, will succeed the Hubble Space Telescope and operate much farther than any other telescope, roughly 1 million miles away from Earth.

\"PHOTO:
NASA via Getty Images
PHOTO: Engineering teams at NASAs James Webb Space Telescope Mission Operations Center at the Space Telescope Science Institute monitor progress as the observatory's second primary mirror wing rotates into position, Jan. 8, 2022.
>

The Webb telescope will use mirrors to conduct infrared astronomy and \"observe exoplanets located in their stars’ habitable zones, the regions where a planet could harbor liquid water on its surface, and can determine if and where signatures of habitability may be present,\" according to NASA.

\"PHOTO:In
NASA/AFP via Getty Images, FILE
PHOTO:In this still picture from a NASA TV broadcast, the James Webb Space Telescope separates from Arianespace's Ariane 5 rocket after launching from Europes Spaceport.
>

Since the telescope's instruments need to operate at extremely cold temperatures: engineers designed a sunshield to protect the instrument from the heat of the sun.

The Webb telescope has a long journey ahead. Over the next few weeks, it will align and calibrate its mirrors so they act as one uniform object to reflect light.

What's next for #NASAWebb's mirrors? Once cold enough, and with the help of a star as a target, tiny motors will be used by our team to precisely align and shape each segment so all 18 will perform as one mirror. More: https://t.co/tPyWOyQQW0 pic.twitter.com/gsGhajRSFZ

— NASA Webb Telescope (@NASAWebb) January 8, 2022

It will then proceed to its destination, \"Lagrange point 2.\"

The first images from the telescope are expected in the spring.

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