NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has arrived at its final destination after a million-mile journey that lasted a month after its launch.
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The telescope, which took off from French Guiana on Christmas Day, entered its final parking spot called "L2" beyond the moon on Monday.
Now finally in place, the space observatory will be able to look at exoplanets, which are worlds outside our solar system, as well as observe objects within it.
The telescope is an international project led by NASA in collaboration with the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency, and is named after James E Webb, the NASA administrator from 1961 to 1968, who was a key figure in the Apollo missions.
Some of Webb's targets include ocean worlds in our solar system, such as Jupiter's moon Europa and Saturn's moon Titan.
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The $10 billion observatory, which observes in infrared light, now needs to align its mirrors and infrared detectors to cool down before it becomes fully operational in June.
Its design includes a five-layer sunscreen to protect the giant mirror and its instruments from the sun's rays.
"We are one step closer to unlocking the mysteries of the universe. And I look forward to seeing Webb's first new views of the universe this summer!" NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a statement.
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At more than a million miles away, the telescope, which is considered the successor to the Hubble, is more than four times farther than the moon and too far away for repairs to be made.
The telescope will be able to scan the universe for any signs of extraterrestrial life as it orbits the sun.
Source of information: independent.co.uk
