Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam)

Webb's NIRCam will help scientists answer questions about the early phases of star and galaxy formation. It will yield data about the shapes and colors of faraway, young galaxies, allowing astronomers to determine how galaxies changed over time. In addition, NIRCam will help astronomers to determine the ages of stars in nearby galaxies. NIRCam will be the primary camera for wavelengths from 0.6–5 microns.

NIRCam will be equipped with coronagraphs, instruments that allow astronomers to take pictures of very faint objects around a central bright object, such as a star. NIRCam's coronographs work by blocking a brighter object's light, making it possible to view the dimmer object nearby -- just like shielding the sun from your eyes with an upraised hand can allow you to focus on the view in front of you. With the coronagraphs, astronomers hope to determine the characteristics of planets orbiting nearby stars.

NIRCam also will help ensure the perfect alignment and shape of the different primary mirror segments. NIRCam is equipped with special optics that can capture the image of a single, bright star and deliberately place it out of focus, spreading out its light. Astronomers then analyze that out-of-focus image, looking for patterns that are consistent with all the mirrors being in alignment, or indicative of a problem.

NIRCam will be built by the University of Arizona and Lockheed Martin

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