In less than two years, the James Webb Space Telescope has already proven itself as one of humanity's greatest achievements in astronomy, surpassing that of the beloved Hubble. Because of how long it takes light to reach us, all telescopes act as time machines, showing us what happened millions and even billions of years ago.
The JWST is the most powerful of them all. With its 21-foot (6.5-meter) mirror and array of cutting-edge infrared detectors, it's capable of resolving the dimmest, earliest, and most distant galaxies in the universe. Now, a new IMAX documentary features the building and deployment of this amazing instrument that's been delivering such mind-blowing images.
Directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Nathaniel Kahn and narrated by Oscar-nominated actress Michelle Williams, Deep Sky takes us on a tour of the instrument's design, launch, and some of its amazing images that attempt to once and for all figure out how the universe began, where we came from, and whether we're alone on Earth or if there's life somewhere else.
The following exclusive clip includes never-before-seen footage featuring the production of the James Webb Space Telescope's Sun Shield, along with commentary from scientists:
The 40-minute Deep Sky IMAX documentary premieres on April 19 in over 300 theaters across the United States and Canada.
Watch the trailer below:
For more, read ExtremeTech's 25 Best Images From the James Webb Space Telescope So Far.
