{"id":478509,"date":"2022-07-27T16:47:51","date_gmt":"2022-07-27T13:47:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/why-nasa-chose-gold-plated-mirrors-for-the-james-webb-telescope\/"},"modified":"2022-07-27T16:47:51","modified_gmt":"2022-07-27T13:47:51","slug":"why-nasa-chose-gold-plated-mirrors-for-the-james-webb-telescope","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-nasa-chose-gold-plated-mirrors-for-the-james-webb-telescope\/","title":{"rendered":"#Why NASA chose gold-plated mirrors for the James Webb telescope"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a41420214ec3\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a41420214ec3\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-1'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-nasa-chose-gold-plated-mirrors-for-the-james-webb-telescope\/#%E2%80%9CWhy_NASA_chose_gold-plated_mirrors_for_the_James_Webb_telescope%E2%80%9D\" >&#8220;Why NASA chose gold-plated mirrors for the James Webb telescope&#8221;<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-2' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/why-nasa-chose-gold-plated-mirrors-for-the-james-webb-telescope\/#Greetings_humanoids\" >Greetings, humanoids<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h1><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"%E2%80%9CWhy_NASA_chose_gold-plated_mirrors_for_the_James_Webb_telescope%E2%80%9D\"><\/span>&#8220;Why NASA chose gold-plated mirrors for the James Webb telescope&#8221;<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<div id=\"article-main-content\">\n                            The James Webb Telescope \u2014 the largest and most powerful device of its kind ever launched into space \u2014 has already yielded some breathtaking images of the early universe.<\/p>\n<p>While the telescope itself is a technological wonder, one of its most aesthetically grabbing elements is its 6.5-meter primary mirror, made of 18 hexagonal mirrors, coated with a plating of gold.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1390094 js-lazy\" alt=\"The James Webb Telescope\" width=\"1640\" height=\"1640\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1640px) 100vw, 1640px\" https:=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/07\/mirror-4.jpeg 1640w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/07\/mirror-4-210x210.jpeg 210w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/07\/mirror-4-135x135.jpeg 135w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/07\/mirror-4-96x96.jpeg 96w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/07\/mirror-4-270x270.jpeg 270w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/07\/mirror-4-1536x1536.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/07\/mirror-4-796x796.jpeg 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/07\/mirror-4-1592x1592.jpeg 1592w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/07\/mirror-4-192x192.jpeg 192w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/07\/mirror-4-1200x1200.jpeg 1200w\"\/><figcaption><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.thenextweb.com%2Fneural%2F2022%2F07%2F27%2Fwhy-nasa-chose-gold-plated-mirrors-for-james-webb-telescope%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: The James Webb Telescope. Credit: NASA\" data-title=\"Share The James Webb Telescope. Credit: NASA on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share The James Webb Telescope. Credit: NASA on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"\/><\/a>The James Webb Telescope. Credit: NASA<\/figcaption><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1390094\" https:=\"\" alt=\"The James Webb Telescope\" width=\"1640\" height=\"1640\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/07\/mirror-4.jpeg 1640w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/07\/mirror-4-210x210.jpeg 210w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/07\/mirror-4-135x135.jpeg 135w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/07\/mirror-4-96x96.jpeg 96w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/07\/mirror-4-270x270.jpeg 270w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/07\/mirror-4-1536x1536.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/07\/mirror-4-796x796.jpeg 796w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/07\/mirror-4-1592x1592.jpeg 1592w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/07\/mirror-4-192x192.jpeg 192w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/07\/mirror-4-1200x1200.jpeg 1200w\"\/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p>And, yes, that\u2019s real gold \u2014 about five men\u2019s wedding rings worth of the metal.<\/p>\n<div class=\"inarticle-wrapper neural channel-cta hs-embed-tnw\">\n<div id=\"hs-embed-tnw\" class=\"channel-cta-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"channel-cta-img\"><img class=\"js-lazy\" https:=\"\"\/><\/div>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/src=\" https:=\"\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<div class=\"channel-cta-input\">\n<h2 class=\"channel-cta-title\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Greetings_humanoids\"><\/span>Greetings, humanoids<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p class=\"channel-cta-tagline\">Subscribe to our <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a>letter now for a weekly recap of our favorite AI stories in your inbox.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>We had a question: why? What reason is there for the mirror to be gold-plated? Well, we have the answer.<\/p>\n<p>Mirrors on a telescope are often coated with some variety of metal in order to reflect as much light as possible.<\/p>\n<p>The kind of metal depends on the type of light a telescope is looking at, and, in James Webb\u2019s case, gold was the ideal choice.<\/p>\n<p>The telescope\u2019s observing infrared \u2014 the type of light emanating from the deep cosmos.<\/p>\n<p>As per <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nasa.gov\/content\/goddard\/2021\/nasa-james-webb-space-telescope-unfold-the-universe-art-challenge\">Paul Geithner<\/a>, a Deputy Project Manager for the James Webb Space Telescope at NASA, there are two main reasons why observing the infrared spectrum is crucial:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>One reason is because the ultraviolet and visible light emitted by the very first luminous objects that formed in the universe when it was young has been stretched by the expansion of the universe so that it reaches us today, over 13 billion years later, as infrared light.<\/p>\n<p>Another reason is because stars and planets form in clouds of gas and dust, and this dust obscures our view. Infrared light penetrates these clouds and allows us to see inside.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>To assist the telescope\u2019s mission to observe infrared light, its mirrors have been designed to reflect as much of the light as possible.<\/p>\n<p>According to NASA\u2019s <em><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=bUedD5PBksI\">Elements of the Webb<\/a><\/em> <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/watch-movies-tv-seriess\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"8\" title=\"Watch Movies &amp; TV Series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">series<\/a>, there are a couple of metals that do an exceptional job at reflecting infrared light.<\/p>\n<p>Aluminum reflects 85%, silver up to 95%, and gold up to <em>99%<\/em>.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1390095 js-lazy\" alt=\"james webb mirror \" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" https:=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/07\/mirror-1.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/07\/mirror-1-280x187.jpeg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/07\/mirror-1-202x135.jpeg 202w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/07\/mirror-1-405x270.jpeg 405w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/07\/mirror-1-796x531.jpeg 796w\"\/><figcaption><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.thenextweb.com%2Fneural%2F2022%2F07%2F27%2Fwhy-nasa-chose-gold-plated-mirrors-for-james-webb-telescope%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: Credit: NASA\" data-title=\"Share Credit: NASA on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share Credit: NASA on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"\/><\/a>Credit: NASA<\/figcaption><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1390095\" https:=\"\" alt=\"james webb mirror \" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/07\/mirror-1.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/07\/mirror-1-280x187.jpeg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/07\/mirror-1-202x135.jpeg 202w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/07\/mirror-1-405x270.jpeg 405w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/07\/mirror-1-796x531.jpeg 796w\"\/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p>Gold is also one of the most unreactive metals, meaning it\u2019s too durable to oxidize and decay in space.<\/p>\n<p>To maximize the metal\u2019s reflective properties, the gold coating is <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>lied to the mirrors with a process called \u201cvacuum vapor deposition.\u201d Basically, the mirrors are put inside a vacuum chamber, and a small quantity of gold is vaporized and deposits on the mirror.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"post-image post-mediaBleed aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1390096 js-lazy\" alt=\"James Webb mirror \" width=\"720\" height=\"540\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" https:=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/07\/mirror-2-.jpeg 720w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/07\/mirror-2--280x210.jpeg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/07\/mirror-2--180x135.jpeg 180w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/07\/mirror-2--360x270.jpeg 360w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/07\/mirror-2--368x276.jpeg 368w\"\/><figcaption><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"#\" data-url=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Feditorial.thenextweb.com%2Fneural%2F2022%2F07%2F27%2Fwhy-nasa-chose-gold-plated-mirrors-for-james-webb-telescope%2F&amp;via=thenextweb&amp;related=thenextweb&amp;text=Check out this picture on: Credit: NASA\" data-title=\"Share Credit: NASA on Twitter\" data-width=\"685\" data-height=\"500\" class=\"post-image-share popitup\" title=\"Share Credit: NASA on Twitter\"><i class=\"icon icon--inline icon--twitter--dark\"\/><\/a>Credit: NASA<\/figcaption><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-1390096\" https:=\"\" alt=\"James Webb mirror \" width=\"720\" height=\"540\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/07\/mirror-2-.jpeg 720w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/07\/mirror-2--280x210.jpeg 280w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/07\/mirror-2--180x135.jpeg 180w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/07\/mirror-2--360x270.jpeg 360w, https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/07\/mirror-2--368x276.jpeg 368w\"\/><\/noscript><\/figure>\n<p>You can see how this fascinating process works in the video below:<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" srcdoc=\"&lt;style&gt;*{padding:0;margin:0;overflow:hidden}html,body{background:#000;height:100%}img{position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;object-fit:cover;transition:opacity .1s cubic-bezier(0.4,0,1,1)}a:hover img+img{opacity:1!important}&lt;\/style&gt;&lt;a href=\" https:=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/fgn7bKs042Q\/hqdefault.jpg\" style=\"top: 50%;left:50%;width:68px;height:48px;transform:translate3d(-50%,-50%,0)\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>So there you have it! Now you know why the mirrors of the James Webb Telescope are gold-plated.\n                        <\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMLG0nwswvr63Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For forums sites go to <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/forum.buradabiliyorum.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forum.BuradaBiliyorum.Com<\/a><\/span><\/strong>\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more like this article, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/technology\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Technology category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/thenextweb.com\/news\/why-nasa-chose-gold-plated-mirrors-for-james-webb-telescope\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;Why NASA chose gold-plated mirrors for the James Webb telescope&#8221; The James Webb Telescope \u2014 the largest and most powerful device of its kind ever launched into space \u2014 has already yielded some breathtaking images of the early universe. While the telescope itself is a technological wonder, one of its most aesthetically grabbing elements is&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":478510,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/img-cdn.tnwcdn.com\/image\/neural?filter_last=1&fit=1280,640&url=https:\/\/cdn0.tnwcdn.com\/wp-content\/blogs.dir\/1\/files\/2022\/07\/Untitled-design-95.jpg&signature=c9e237e0a0f1b182e8b0bde68561c372","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-478509","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/478509","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=478509"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/478509\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/478510"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=478509"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=478509"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=478509"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}