Editing 2564: Sunshield
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==Explanation== | ==Explanation== | ||
− | + | {{incomplete|Created by THE BRILLIANCE OF THE JWST SCARRING THE FACE OF THIS WIKI- Please continue expanding and improving the explanation. Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}} | |
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JWST stands for {{w|James Webb Space Telescope}}, a space telescope that was launched 12 days prior to publication of this comic, see more details here [[2559: December 25th Launch]]. | JWST stands for {{w|James Webb Space Telescope}}, a space telescope that was launched 12 days prior to publication of this comic, see more details here [[2559: December 25th Launch]]. | ||
It has a {{w|James Webb Space Telescope sunshield|sunshield}} to protect its instruments from the heat of the sun and to keep them below 40 K (-233 °C/-388 °F). Deployment of the sunshield was completed the day before the comic was published. The JWST has to undergo a complex sequence of deployment steps to unfold parts that had to be packed tightly for launch. This sequence has 344 possible points of failure that would render the very expensive space telescope useless; 75% of them led up to the successful full deployment of the sunshield. Thus successful steps are widely celebrated, with this comic an example of such a celebration. | It has a {{w|James Webb Space Telescope sunshield|sunshield}} to protect its instruments from the heat of the sun and to keep them below 40 K (-233 °C/-388 °F). Deployment of the sunshield was completed the day before the comic was published. The JWST has to undergo a complex sequence of deployment steps to unfold parts that had to be packed tightly for launch. This sequence has 344 possible points of failure that would render the very expensive space telescope useless; 75% of them led up to the successful full deployment of the sunshield. Thus successful steps are widely celebrated, with this comic an example of such a celebration. | ||
− | Ordinary cameras use a {{w|Flash (photography)|flash}} to take pictures in low-light situations. Outer space is very dark {{Citation needed}} | + | Ordinary cameras use a {{w|Flash (photography)|flash}} to take pictures in low-light situations. Outer space is very dark{{Citation needed}}, so this comic posits that the JWST has a very powerful flash to compensate for this. Most astronomical cameras don't use flash photography -- they depend on the light either emitted by objects themselves (e.g., stars) or from nearby very bright objects (e.g., Solar System planets that reflect the Sun's light). A flash generally doesn't work for many reasons: |
* It would take too long for the light of the flash to return to the telescope - at least twice the time that it had already taken for the original image to arrive on its own. | * It would take too long for the light of the flash to return to the telescope - at least twice the time that it had already taken for the original image to arrive on its own. | ||
− | * The | + | * The shutter in this comic operates (with a click) ''before'' the flash is emitted, so light from the flash wouldn't even reach the camera's {{w|photodetector}}. It is however possible that the camera is using a time exposure and that the shutter was still open when the flash occurred. |
* Not enough 'flash' light would return due to it uselessly spreading in all directions. Instead, in a telescope mirrors and/or lenses focus the light, and long exposure times are used to collect enough of the current light to form a decent image. | * Not enough 'flash' light would return due to it uselessly spreading in all directions. Instead, in a telescope mirrors and/or lenses focus the light, and long exposure times are used to collect enough of the current light to form a decent image. | ||
− | * A flash powerful enough to overcome the previous difficulty would have to be inordinately powerful. This would raise significant questions about powering it | + | * A flash powerful enough to overcome the previous difficulty would have to be inordinately powerful. This would raise significant questions about powering it, and would damage (or at least disturb) many of things the flash would still be able to illuminate. |
* The objects and phenomena of interest of JWST are, by dint of their extreme distance, being seen as they were in the early stages of the universe, and emit light that potentially gives vital clues about that era, only marginally this side of the current visible-horizon of our apparently expanding universe. Should our flash ever reach them (assuming they still exist) and we have the patience to await the return (assuming ''we'' still exist), this will only reveal the much older versions of whatever they have become and only in the form of light that we have swamped them with. | * The objects and phenomena of interest of JWST are, by dint of their extreme distance, being seen as they were in the early stages of the universe, and emit light that potentially gives vital clues about that era, only marginally this side of the current visible-horizon of our apparently expanding universe. Should our flash ever reach them (assuming they still exist) and we have the patience to await the return (assuming ''we'' still exist), this will only reveal the much older versions of whatever they have become and only in the form of light that we have swamped them with. | ||
* Before this, any intervening civilization that possesses (or can still develop) the necessary capabilities will have at the very least responded, if not retaliated, to the original flash. Their response might be far less humorous. | * Before this, any intervening civilization that possesses (or can still develop) the necessary capabilities will have at the very least responded, if not retaliated, to the original flash. Their response might be far less humorous. | ||
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The comic assigns the sunshield a new, comical purpose of shielding the Sun (and Earth ,which is roughly in the same direction as the Sun, due to the deployment at the {{w|Lagrange point|L2 Lagrange point}}) from this flash, rather than the other way around. When the camera is taking a picture, the comic shows space in front of the shield lit up while there is a totally dark shadow behind the shield (in the direction of Earth and Sun). | The comic assigns the sunshield a new, comical purpose of shielding the Sun (and Earth ,which is roughly in the same direction as the Sun, due to the deployment at the {{w|Lagrange point|L2 Lagrange point}}) from this flash, rather than the other way around. When the camera is taking a picture, the comic shows space in front of the shield lit up while there is a totally dark shadow behind the shield (in the direction of Earth and Sun). | ||
− | The comic also has the camera making a "click" sound. In traditional mechanical cameras | + | The comic also has the camera making a "click" sound. In traditional mechanical cameras, this sound comes from the {{w|Shutter (photography|shutter}} opening and closing, and digital cameras mimic this sound so the user (and subject, when human) knows when the picture is being taken. JWST won't actually click -- it doesn't have a shutter, as it takes long-exposure digital images, and [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078748/taglines in space no one can hear you click]. |
The telescope also tells the universe to smile for the picture. The universe doesn't have a mouth to smile with{{Citation needed}}, although there are a number of features both on Solar System objects and in deep space that look like faces; this is a phenomenon called {{w|pareidolia}}. The most well known is the {{w|Man in the Moon}}, but there are numerous others both in the [https://www.universetoday.com/121551/faces-of-the-solar-system/ Solar system], most famous is probably the {{w|Cydonia (Mars)|Face on Mars}} and out among the galaxies, like the [https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap151127.html Cheshire Cat galaxy group] named after the {{w|Cheshire_Cat#In_science|Cheshire Cat}} from {{w|Alice's Adventures in Wonderland|Alice in Wonderland}}. | The telescope also tells the universe to smile for the picture. The universe doesn't have a mouth to smile with{{Citation needed}}, although there are a number of features both on Solar System objects and in deep space that look like faces; this is a phenomenon called {{w|pareidolia}}. The most well known is the {{w|Man in the Moon}}, but there are numerous others both in the [https://www.universetoday.com/121551/faces-of-the-solar-system/ Solar system], most famous is probably the {{w|Cydonia (Mars)|Face on Mars}} and out among the galaxies, like the [https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap151127.html Cheshire Cat galaxy group] named after the {{w|Cheshire_Cat#In_science|Cheshire Cat}} from {{w|Alice's Adventures in Wonderland|Alice in Wonderland}}. | ||
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{{comic discussion}} | {{comic discussion}} | ||
− | [[Category:Comics with inverted brightness]] | + | [[Category:Comics with inverted brightness]] |
− | [[Category: | + | [[Category:Space probes]] |
[[Category:Telescopes]] | [[Category:Telescopes]] | ||
[[Category:Astronomy]] | [[Category:Astronomy]] | ||
[[Category:Photography]] | [[Category:Photography]] |