A Christmas Gift to the World: The James Webb Telescope Successfully Launches

Science • Views: 23,896

Merry Christmas from all of us at LGF, to all of you wherever you are. And this one was more special than most, because the most powerful telescope ever built by human beings was successfully launched into space today, on its way to the Sun-Earth Lagrange point. With a primary mirror six times larger than the Hubble Telescope’s, the JWST will be able to observe the most distant objects in the universe, and focus in great detail on planets of other solar systems.

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78 comments
1
Backwoods_Sleuth  Dec 25, 2021 • 10:28:52am
2
Rightwingconspirator  Dec 25, 2021 • 10:29:54am

So glad the launch went well!

3
Charles Johnson  Dec 25, 2021 • 10:31:01am

This, however, was disturbing.

4
ckkatz  Dec 25, 2021 • 10:33:21am

re: #1 Backwoods_Sleuth

My thoughts (in order) on seeing that headline…

1. I did not realize that we have 6 branches of military now.
2. I did not realize that the Coast Guard was a branch of the military. Isn’t it part of DHS and not DOD?
3. *sigh* That’s right… Space Force really is a thing.
4. I really am getting to be an old fogy.

5
retired cynic  Dec 25, 2021 • 10:34:47am

re: #4 ckkatz

Three’s plenty.

6
Backwoods_Sleuth  Dec 25, 2021 • 10:34:56am
7
Charles Johnson  Dec 25, 2021 • 10:35:00am
8
Jay C  Dec 25, 2021 • 10:37:58am

re: #1 Backwoods_Sleuth

[Embedded content]

OMG!! Those ears!!!

(Commander, not the Bidens….)

And yeah, re: #4 ckkatz, I also hadn’t realized the “Space Force” was still active: - even if that is probably the entirety of it gathered around that table….

9
ckkatz  Dec 25, 2021 • 10:38:23am

re: #5 retired cynic

Three’s plenty.

Very true.

As former Army though, I’m staying out of the way of the Navy-Marine argument.

(The Marines are part of the Department of the Navy.)

10
Michele: Out of the closet, Into the fire  Dec 25, 2021 • 10:43:01am

re: #9 ckkatz

Very true.

As former Army though, I’m staying out of the way of the Navy-Marine argument.

(The Marines are part of the Department of the Navy.)

That’s fine. We still kicked Army’s ass in that last game.

11
ckkatz  Dec 25, 2021 • 10:43:54am

:)
re: #8 Jay C

OMG!! Those ears!!!

(Commander, not the Bidens….)

12
Charles Johnson  Dec 25, 2021 • 10:44:49am
13
Hecuba's daughter  Dec 25, 2021 • 10:46:23am

re: #3 Charles Johnson

This, however, was disturbing.

[Embedded content]

At least he acknowledged our current understanding of the universe — “as we peer back back in time over 13 billion years ago capture the light from the very beginning of the creation”.

14
Backwoods_Sleuth  Dec 25, 2021 • 10:47:14am
15
Crush White Nationalism  Dec 25, 2021 • 10:49:39am

re: #14 Backwoods_Sleuth

16
wrenchwench  Dec 25, 2021 • 10:49:48am

re: #14 Backwoods_Sleuth

[Embedded content]

If Santa would harness up and give those tiny reindeer a ride, he could eat all the cookies.

17
Backwoods_Sleuth  Dec 25, 2021 • 10:49:54am
18
retired cynic  Dec 25, 2021 • 10:50:19am

re: #9 ckkatz

Very true.

As former Army though, I’m staying out of the way of the Navy-Marine argument.

(The Marines are part of the Department of the Navy.)

I know. My husband was Navy. My father Army. I’ll grant you the air force: land, sea and sky. But that’s enough!

19
ckkatz  Dec 25, 2021 • 10:50:25am

re: #10 Michele: Out of the closet, Into the fire

That’s fine. We still kicked Army’s ass in that last game.

[Embedded content]

Embedded Image

My brother, a West Point Graduate, used to talk about how miserable life was on the West Point Campus after an Army loss to Navy. And he noted that losing to Navy was an alarming trend while he was there.

(Iirc, all privileges were pulled for a week long period after such a loss. With extra drill, etc. I suspect that it was similar in Annapolis after a Navy loss.)

20
retired cynic  Dec 25, 2021 • 10:50:39am

re: #18 retired cynic

So I’m old. Get off my lawn!

21
Nojay UK  Dec 25, 2021 • 10:50:55am

re: #8 Jay C

OMG!! Those ears!!!

(Commander, not the Bidens….)

And yeah, , I also hadn’t realized the “Space Force” was still active:

From reading up on some putatively-expert reactions to Space Force it was something that needed doing, if not exactly the way it ended up being done. Basically the US military depends on space-based resources to win any fight against anyone armed with more than pointed sticks nowadays and there was no overarching structure to control those resources and make them work across the board — the Army’s satellite wranglers didn’t talk to the Navy’s satellite people and the Air Force went its own way too while the spooks (CIA, NSA etc.) kept their distance from the uniformed branches. Heck, I suspect even Uncle Sam’s Misguided Children had a presence in space although it was probably limited to a couple of hooky copies of Kerbal running on the PX till.

22
Hecuba's daughter  Dec 25, 2021 • 10:50:55am

re: #12 Charles Johnson

TBF there seems to have been a lot of election fraud engaged in by Republicans. Just not enough to tip the election to Trump.

23
sizzzzlerz  Dec 25, 2021 • 10:51:16am

Here’s to hoping they got the optics dialed in this time. There is no shuttle any more not to mention Webb will be a million miles from Earth.

24
Charles Johnson  Dec 25, 2021 • 10:52:47am

re: #22 Hecuba’s daughter

TBF there seems to have been a lot of election fraud engaged in by Republicans. Just not enough to tip the election to Trump.

Only 475 potential cases of voter fraud have been identified, out of 25 million votes. And yes, most of them are by Republicans.

pbs.org

25
TedStriker  Dec 25, 2021 • 10:53:28am

re: #17 Backwoods_Sleuth

As one of Senator Blackburn’s purported constituents (though she doesn’t give a fuck about me, me being a liberal Democrat), I concur with Mr. Chen’s assessment of her character.

If a house were to fall on her, I wouldn’t shed a damn tear.

26
Charles Johnson  Dec 25, 2021 • 10:54:15am

re: #23 sizzzzlerz

Here’s to hoping they got the optics dialed in this time. There is no shuttle any more not to mention Webb will be a million miles from Earth.

Yeah, if something isn’t right there won’t be any space missions going to it. Let’s hope they learned all the necessary lessons from Hubble. I’m sure it was a huge part of the planning.

27
gwangung  Dec 25, 2021 • 10:54:30am

re: #17 Backwoods_Sleuth

Well, one of the few times I’ll be on the side of the PRC….

28
Teddy's Person  Dec 25, 2021 • 10:55:28am

re: #14 Backwoods_Sleuth

[Embedded content]

Fat shaming Santa. Not cool Neil, not cool.

29
Backwoods_Sleuth  Dec 25, 2021 • 10:56:15am
30
FormerDirtDart 🍕🐀 No Capt'n 😷 Trips  Dec 25, 2021 • 10:56:24am

re: #1 Backwoods_Sleuth

[Embedded content]

31
TedStriker  Dec 25, 2021 • 10:56:55am

re: #27 gwangung

Well, one of the few times I’ll be on the side of the PRC….

Broken clocks and all…

32
Backwoods_Sleuth  Dec 25, 2021 • 10:58:00am
33
Hecuba's daughter  Dec 25, 2021 • 10:59:32am

re: #23 sizzzzlerz

Here’s to hoping they got the optics dialed in this time. There is no shuttle any more not to mention Webb will be a million miles from Earth.

Only about 4 x as far as the moon. Practically nothing when it comes to distances within our solar system. Hopefully, someone will have the appropriate transportation to travel that distance for repairs within the next few years. Maybe an updated SpaceX vessel?

34
A Cranky One  Dec 25, 2021 • 11:01:03am

re: #25 TedStriker

As one of Senator Blackburn’s purported constituents (though she doesn’t give a fuck about me, me being a liberal Democrat), I concur with Mr. Chen’s assessment of her character.

If a house were to fall on her, I wouldn’t shed a damn tear.

But would you take her shoes?

35
A Cranky One  Dec 25, 2021 • 11:01:45am

36
Hecuba's daughter  Dec 25, 2021 • 11:02:02am

re: #28 Teddy’s Person

Fat shaming Santa. Not cool Neil, not cool.

Not nice of Neil. But as for me, I would love someone to prepare that type of treat for my consumption. Give me fresh vegetables any day (and those were all ones I eat)

37
No Malarkey!  Dec 25, 2021 • 11:02:28am

re: #7 Charles Johnson

If a vaccine mandate had been imposed as soon as the FDA gave full approval to the Pfizer vaccine, it might have saved the life of my coworker, as much as she would’ve complained about it infringing on her “freedoms.”

38
Backwoods_Sleuth  Dec 25, 2021 • 11:03:07am
39
FormerDirtDart 🍕🐀 No Capt'n 😷 Trips  Dec 25, 2021 • 11:04:20am

re: #14 Backwoods_Sleuth

re: #15 Punish Domestic Terrorists

40
No Malarkey!  Dec 25, 2021 • 11:05:22am

re: #28 Teddy’s Person

Fat shaming Santa. Not cool Neil, not cool.

Probably very tongue-in-cheek, since Neil isn’t exactly svelte himself.

41
Nojay UK  Dec 25, 2021 • 11:06:08am

re: #23 sizzzzlerz

Here’s to hoping they got the optics dialed in this time. There is no shuttle any more not to mention Webb will be a million miles from Earth.

The mirror segments on the James Webb Space Telescope are adaptive. They have motors on the back that can bend them to correct any errors detected. The Hubble mirror was a single large glass mirror from the pre-adaptable-optics era but nowadays any large new telescope has active correction built in, like ESA’s Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) which, when it is complete, will have a 39-metre diameter mirror with nearly 800 segments, all adaptively controlled. First light should be in 2027.

The ELT is a compromise design, the original spec was for the Overwhelmingly Large Telescope (OWL) which would have had a 100-metre main mirror. Maybe later.

42
Shiplord Kirel: Fan of Big Bird, Bert, and Ernie  Dec 25, 2021 • 11:06:30am

re: #17 Backwoods_Sleuth

]

Yeah, Blackburn. Opium Wars (there were two of them you know), Unequal treaties, Chinese Exclusion Act, etc. I am not even close to being an adherent of the “US always evil” media paradigm, but this is just batshit crazy, destructive ignorance.

43
ckkatz  Dec 25, 2021 • 11:07:13am

Twitter needs to update their

“Please remember the feelings of the person behind the tweet” warning

to include mention of

the Psychological Operations contractor working for the foreign intelligence agency who is running the bot network that actually made the tweet.

44
DodgerFan1988  Dec 25, 2021 • 11:10:40am
45
Backwoods_Sleuth  Dec 25, 2021 • 11:10:44am
46
No Malarkey!  Dec 25, 2021 • 11:10:47am

re: #42 Shiplord Kirel: Fan of Big Bird, Bert, and Ernie

Yeah, Blackburn. Opium Wars (there were two of them you know), Unequal treaties, Chinese Exclusion Act, etc. I am not even close to being an adherent of the “US always evil” media paradigm, but this is just batshit crazy, destructive ignorance.

Racist xenophobe appealing to her white nationalist voting base.

47
GlutenFreeJesus  Dec 25, 2021 • 11:12:44am

Merry Christmas! Someone finally got a raincoat.

48
FormerDirtDart 🍕🐀 No Capt'n 😷 Trips  Dec 25, 2021 • 11:14:32am

re: #44 DodgerFan1988

49
Belafon  Dec 25, 2021 • 11:16:15am

re: #44 DodgerFan1988

[Embedded content]

Koch has already seen the future after he dies and he still hasn’t changed.

50
Charles Johnson  Dec 25, 2021 • 11:20:05am
51
jeffreyw  Dec 25, 2021 • 11:21:39am

Xmas Dinner 2021

Sticky Chicken on Rice

52
Hecuba's daughter  Dec 25, 2021 • 11:22:00am

re: #48 FormerDirtDart 🍕🐀 No Capt’n 😷 Trips

As terrible as Musk and Bezos are, it’s the other three who are most responsible for destroying our democracy. Murdoch and Charles Koch have been around longer than Thiel and so have inflicted more damage— Murdoch for direct attacks on our political system and Koch for contributing to the destruction of our planet. Hard to choose between them.

53
Captain Ron  Dec 25, 2021 • 11:24:25am
54
Shiplord Kirel: Fan of Big Bird, Bert, and Ernie  Dec 25, 2021 • 11:25:06am

The Chinese launched their own War on Drugs in the early 1830s, which brought them into conflict with an international dope cartel, the British Empire. The opium mostly originated in India, where it was grown by the East India Company. British merchants imported and stored it in China’s free trade zones, from which they sold it to Chinese smugglers.
Commissioner Lin’s letter to Queen Victoria, 1839:

We find that your country is sixty or seventy thousand li from China. The purpose of your ships in coming to China is to realize a large profit. Since this profit is realized in China and is in fact taken away from the Chinese people, how can foreigners return injury for the benefit they have received by sending this poison to harm their benefactors?

They may not intend to harm others on purpose, but the fact remains that they are so obsessed with material gain that they have no concern whatever for the harm they can cause to others. Have they no conscience? I have heard that you strictly prohibit opium in your own country, indicating unmistakably that you know how harmful opium is. You do not wish opium to harm your own country, but you choose to bring that harm to other countries such as China. Why?

The products that originate from China are all useful items. They are good for food and other purposes and are easy to sell. Has China produced one item that is harmful to foreign countries? For instance, tea and rhubarb are so important to foreigners’ livelihood that they have to consume them every day. Were China to concern herself only with her own advantage without showing any regard for other people’s welfare, how could foreigners continue to live?

I have heard that the areas under your direct jurisdiction such as London, Scotland, and Ireland do not produce opium; it is produced instead in your Indian possessions such as Bengal, Madras, Bombay, Patna, and Malwa. In these possessions the English people not only plant opium poppies that stretch from one mountain to another but also open factories to manufacture this terrible drug.

As months accumulate and years pass by, the poison they have produced increases in its wicked intensity, and its repugnant odor reaches as high as the sky. Heaven is furious with anger, and all the gods are moaning with pain! It is hereby suggested that you destroy and plow under all of these opium plants and grow food crops instead, while issuing an order to punish severely anyone who dares to plant opium poppies again.

A murderer of one person is subject to the death sentence; just imagine how many people opium has killed! This is the rationale behind the new law which says that any foreigner who brings opium to China will be sentenced to death by hanging or beheading. Our purpose is to eliminate this poison once and for all and to the benefit of all mankind.

Lin’s campaign against the drug trade led to the destruction of 20,000 chests of British owned opium at Humen in June 1839 and the fight was on.

55
A Cranky One  Dec 25, 2021 • 11:27:09am

56
JC1  Dec 25, 2021 • 11:28:15am

re: #52 Hecuba’s daughter

As terrible as Musk and Bezos are, it’s the other three who are most responsible for destroying our democracy. Murdoch and Charles Koch have been around longer than Thiel and so have inflicted more damage— Murdoch for direct attacks on our political system and Koch for contributing to the destruction of our planet. Hard to choose between them.

My vote is Murdoch, by far. I think that the Koch clan at least contributes some positive things to the world; Georgia Pacific is not a horrible company. And whether it’s a positive or not, they seem like actual American patriots, though with differing views. Murdoch is just a f*cking parasite.

57
Charles Johnson  Dec 25, 2021 • 11:29:20am
58
Shiplord Kirel: Fan of Big Bird, Bert, and Ernie  Dec 25, 2021 • 11:34:25am

re: #54 Shiplord Kirel: Fan of Big Bird, Bert, and Ernie

Looking at this now, it is hard to believe such a thing could even happen. It was not that long ago, though. The Second Opium War was fought from 1856 to 1860. People with direct memories of that time were still alive when I was born, though I didn’t know any of them. Since Marsha Blackburn is nearly as old as I am, she could also have known them.

59
nines09  Dec 25, 2021 • 11:34:26am

instagram.com

60
prairiefire  Dec 25, 2021 • 11:34:58am

Happy Holidays! Merry Christmas!

61
A Cranky One  Dec 25, 2021 • 11:41:05am

62
Shiplord Kirel: Fan of Big Bird, Bert, and Ernie  Dec 25, 2021 • 11:41:55am
63
PhillyPretzel  Dec 25, 2021 • 11:45:56am

re: #62 Shiplord Kirel: Fan of Big Bird, Bert, and Ernie

Pardon me for saying it but it serves him right.

64
Shiplord Kirel: Fan of Big Bird, Bert, and Ernie  Dec 25, 2021 • 11:57:10am
65
Semper Fi  Dec 25, 2021 • 12:03:13pm

A bit breezy here in LV, NV but the sun is nice and the neighborhood seems quiet. I was on face time with part of my family yesterday evening: Son and wife (wonderful lady); 2 grandsons and their partners; and, 2 great grandsons + 2 great granddaughters. Whatta blast that was…plenty of tears after that one.

Have a happy day folks no matter what this day means to you.

66
Dave In Austin  Dec 25, 2021 • 12:09:55pm
67
Michele: Out of the closet, Into the fire  Dec 25, 2021 • 12:11:09pm

Started prepping tonight’s dinner. From start to almost finished. This is whats going to get vac bagged for future meals. 21 meals total. The cubed ham pieces will go into a batch of 15 bean soup in the near future (along with a Ham Hock).

68
BigPapa  Dec 25, 2021 • 12:15:11pm

re: #66 Dave In Austin

If I saw that cup I’d put a mask on it. Then leave.

69
Eventual Carrion  Dec 25, 2021 • 12:26:42pm

Our new addition as of yesterday. Meet Fred. He is a rescue found with 2 other sisters in the last snow we had. They were close to death when the rescuer found them. He is getting less skittish as the day goes on. Head cat Bunny is still none too pleased.

70
nines09  Dec 25, 2021 • 12:30:17pm

So I from time to time stumble about and find out I am out of the loop in so many venues.
Vulfpeck. American band. I never heard of them. How did I miss this?
Bass player is off the hook. Guitars are locked and loaded. Drummer is a metronome.

Youtube Video

71
Shiplord Kirel: Fan of Big Bird, Bert, and Ernie  Dec 25, 2021 • 12:33:34pm
72
Jay C  Dec 25, 2021 • 12:35:20pm

re: #70 nines09

Vulfpeck. American band. I never heard of them. How did I miss this?

Maybe you should follow LGF more closely? ISTR Charles has posted a couple of clips of them in recent months(?). They DO rock….

73
Shiplord Kirel: Fan of Big Bird, Bert, and Ernie  Dec 25, 2021 • 12:37:03pm

Iframe

74
BigPapa  Dec 25, 2021 • 12:38:23pm

re: #70 nines09

The funk is very strong on that one.

75
nines09  Dec 25, 2021 • 12:39:30pm

re: #72 Jay C

Maybe you should follow LGF more closely? ISTR Charles has posted a couple of clips of them in recent months(?). They DO rock….

Not following as closely as I once did.
I thought I’d throw it out there.
Charles knows funk.

76
Dave In Austin  Dec 25, 2021 • 12:39:49pm

re: #70 nines09

THE FEARLESS FLYERS /// Introducing the Fearless Flyers

77
A Mom Anon  Dec 25, 2021 • 2:15:40pm

re: #62 Shiplord Kirel: Fan of Big Bird, Bert, and Ernie

Stupid and mean are a dangerous combo. And there is a LOT of mean involved in all those stupid choices.

78
austin_blue  Dec 25, 2021 • 6:51:23pm

re: #54 Shiplord Kirel: Fan of Big Bird, Bert, and Ernie

The Chinese launched their own War on Drugs in the early 1830s, which brought them into conflict with an international dope cartel, the British Empire. The opium mostly originated in India, where it was grown by the East India Company. British merchants imported and stored it in China’s free trade zones, from which they sold it to Chinese smugglers.
Commissioner Lin’s letter to Queen Victoria, 1839:

Lin’s campaign against the drug trade led to the destruction of 20,000 chests of British owned opium at Humen in June 1839 and the fight was on.

Another true fact that Critical Race Theory exclusion will prevent being taught to or read by children.

Which is a shame, because half of the mystery and horror novels of the late 19th and early 20th Century novels were based on these exact set of facts.


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