Elements of Webb

The James Webb Space Telescope is three stories tall, as wide as a tennis court. It’s got a 21-foot primary mirror and then it’s got these 4 instruments that are […]

The Webb’s Telescope’s dazzling mirrors have a microscopic layer of gold and it isn’t for aesthetic reasons. Different wavelengths of light are best reflected with certain metals. Reflect on these […]

Where Does Gold Come From? The Webb’s Telescope’s dazzling mirrors have a microscopic layer of gold and it isn’t for aesthetic reasons. Different wavelengths of light are best reflected with […]

Have you heard of beryllium? It’s a rare lightweight metal used as the primary material on the Webb Telescope. This episode explores the reason this expensive metal is perfect for […]

Utah is home to many valuable materials – copper, magnesium, uranium, gold and silver. But most of the world’s beryllium is mined here. And engineers chose beryllium for Webb’s mirrors […]

Where does beryllium really come from? To explain beryllium’s rare beginnings, we have to talk about the cosmic origins of most elements.

The Webb Telescope has a tennis court size sunshield made out of a thin material called Kapton. It shields the exposed mirrors and science instruments from the light and heat […]

Carbon composites are everywhere, including Webb. Let’s see how engineers incorporated the new material to make the Webb Telescope strong and light weight.

Silicon is the go-to chip and sensor material for a reason – it works. Learn about the semi-conductor properties that make this element the right choice for the Webb Telescope.

Helium is the element with the lowest boiling point. Find out how the James Webb Space Telescope uses this special element to stay cool in the latest episode of Elements […]

The Webb Telescope is full of precise optical components, some of which include lenses made out of salt. Why? Find out why our infrared telescope requires this unexpected lens in […]

Black objects absorb heat. But Webb’s radiator, designed to keep the science instruments cold, is black. Why? Find out on this episode of Elements of Webb.

This is the “Elements of Webb” series finale. Webb uses a variety of unique and run-of-the mill elements in its build. It is also designed to detect the elemental makeup […]