--- title: "The Webb Telescope’s Latest Star Photo Is Absolutely Magnificent" description: "The James Webb Space Telescope has once again released a star photo, and it's absolutely stunning." date: "2022-02-26" modified: "2022-02-26" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/webb-star-photo-stacked" categories: - "James Webb Space Telescope" - "NASA" - "Space" tags: - "james webb space telescope" - "NASA" - "stars" - "the digest" --- # The Webb Telescope’s Latest Star Photo Is Absolutely Magnificent ![The James Webb Space Telescope has once again released a star photo, and it's absolutely stunning.]() *\Image: NASA\* ## Lining Up The James Webb Space Telescope is getting closer to kicking off scientific operations — and its numerous mirror segments are almost perfectly lined up. A new composite image [shared by NASA]() on Thursday shows [the telescope honing in on]() a distant star with [its many mirrors](). The image is "stacked" to demonstrate how the observatory's 18 mirror segments are almost perfectly aligned, all pointing at the same target. In [a statement released on Friday](), NASA noted that the JWST team has "successfully worked through the second and third out of seven total phases," meaning the mirror alignment process is roughly halfway done. The goal is to stack the mirrors' reflections to produce a single, incredibly high-definition image of a star, a tantalizing prospect scientists have been waiting for for decades. https://twitter.com/BBCAmos/status/1497254551702970374 ## Growing Excitement But the team isn't there just yet. "We still have work to do, but we are increasingly pleased with the results we’re seeing," Lee Feinberg, the telescope's optical telescope element manager said in the statement. "Years of planning and testing are paying dividends, and the team could not be more excited to see what the next few weeks and months bring." So far, [previous photos publicized by the JWST team]() have shown [the same star reflected 18 times]() by each of the telescope's mirrors — a dazzling kaleidoscope effect, but not the final product. Ever since its [Christmas Day launch]() last year — following [extensive delays]() and billions of dollars spent — the James Webb telescope's progress has delighted scientists and novices alike. The steady drip of news and images from the JWST has almost made up for the wait, and we're waiting with bated breath for the next update. **READ MORE:** [Webb Mirror Alignment Continues Successfully]() \[NASA\] **More Webb news:** [*Former Astronaut Suggests Specific Planet for James Webb to Search for Life*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()