The UK-assembled instrument on Hubble's successor reaches a decidedly chilly -267C in space.
MIRI is one of four instruments on Webb, which is the successor to the venerable Hubble Space Telescope and expected to be no less revolutionary.
But this isn't nearly cold enough for MIRI, which will work with the longest infrared wavelengths in Webb's sensitivity range. Achieving an even colder regime has required an active cooling unit, or cryo-cooler, developed by engineers at US aerospace manufacturer Northrop Grumman. This involves first ensuring the focusing of Webb's huge, 6.5m-wide mirror works for MIRI just as well as it does for the telescope's other instruments.
James Webb has a number of goals that include searching for the very first stars to shine in the Universe and to study in detail the formation and evolution of galaxies.Among its smart technologies are four coronagraphs. These are small discs placed across the field of view for use in high-contrast imaging. They will permit Webb to block out the glare of a star to study only its orbiting planets.
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