How James Webb's Instruments Work - and What They'll Show Us!

How James Webb's Science Instruments Work and What They'll Show Us! The first 1,000 people to use this link will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare: skl.sh/launchpadastronomy02221
The James Webb Space Telescope's science instruments are a combination of near and mid-infrared cameras, coronagraphs, and spectrographs that will reveal details never seen before.
00:00 Intro MIRI Filter Wheel
00:54 Webb's Science Field of View
02:05 Cooling Down
03:41 Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam)
06:06 Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec)
08:00 Near Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph (FGS-NIRISS)
10:56 Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI)
16:51 Skillshare
17:48 Patrons
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🧭 References:
JWST User Documentation: jwst-docs.stsci.edu/
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[@LaunchPadAstronomy]

🔴Thanks to Skillshare for sponsoring today's video! The first 1,000 people to use this link will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare: skl.sh/launchpadastronomy02221

[@filonin2]

visisble

[@johnstrawb3521]

Hard to believe you don't get to the matter at hand until 3:40. This is a common mistake among pedagogues who have yet to grasp it's best to begin with at least a solid if brief overview of exactly what your title claims for the subject of the video. Talking about water vapor trapped within Webb's carbon fiber, instead, is simply ludicrous. Please, please improve.

[@williamlee0]

Your spam really sucks.

[@Metaldetectiontubeworldwide]

Great video thanks , me as a engineering machinist live for high tech. Thought the backlash on the Filterwheel , made me a bit sad . Not my perception , of NASA high tech top quality . The spring , only one ?..realy You did a GREAT JOB THOUGHT , LovE YOUR CHANNEL ! ☆☆☆☆☆ Grtzz from the Netherlands Johny geerts

[@peterparker9286]

Street lights are cool.

[@KurtQuad]

Well, this is certainly FAR more interesting than hearing about how large the sun-shield is. So hard to find in-depth videos about the JWST and here comes this channel. Nicely done!!

[@LaunchPadAstronomy]

Thanks, and there's more to come!

[@space_0027]

Couldn’t agree more!

[@Mikeycharls]

100% what I thought

[@simulacrae]

But it's the size of a tennis court!

[@RobShuttleworth]

@@LaunchPadAstronomy The 3D work is amazing! Cheers.

[@WalidFeghali]

Please nerd out on the cooling system in a future video of MIRI! Thanks for your amazing content. W.

[@DanielVerberne]

Is it the cooling system that makes use of sound or "acoustics"? I recall being blown away by such a mechanism....

[@iitzfizz]

the cooling system is pretty cool i'd say ;)

[@akakak4103]

Yes, please. I loved this video, and I'd love an in-depth look at MIRI's cooling system.

[@nocare]

@@DanielVerberne Yes it uses 3 stages of acoustic cryocooler as well as a finale 4th stage of Joule-Thompson expansion cooler.

[@elijahoshatz5248]

I second this, please do!!

[@dexio85]

Than you so much for covering the Webb in so much detail. I really appreciate the effort as most channels just avoid technical talk.

[@LaunchPadAstronomy]

Thank you so much!

[@JoelMMcKinney]

I mean .... most of it is review, but i do Not disagree!

[@Txepetxcc]

@@LaunchPadAstronomy need on the cryocooler when you have a proper chance !

[@quantumrog]

As an optical physicist I am in awe at the hardware design and sheer capabilities of this telescope, it's far more awesome than I had appreciated - thank you!

[@kingd3444]

I'm halfway through the video right now. And i had to pause it just to mention a few key points. 1. I don't usually comment on videos. 2. I'm an engineer who majored in optics, light and wave motion. 3. This channel is simply AMAZING. 4. The content, to the average joe is still understandable. 5. The animations are phenomenal. 6. The explanations are intricate, detailed and well thought out. I simply love this channel. I love your content. I've wanted to know what goes on inside that telescope ever since the design had begun all those years back. Thank you for finally answering mine and i think everyone else's questions on what makes webb so special. Keep making great content. 👍

[@LaunchPadAstronomy]

Thank you so much for the kind words. I'm not an engineer by training or by profession, so I'm very grateful to get feedback like this from pros like yourself!

[@leogama3422]

There were some explanations in materials from CSA, ESA and NASA spotted around (the images probably all came from there), but I hadn't see a compilation like this until now. Really good job!

[@MiketheEye]

Been looking at those beautiful renders of the instruments for months and have been DYING to see them explained. This video absolutely nails it. Thank you for all the great content!

[@helderafonso2609]

i second your comment entirely. The best explanation about james weeb work

[@oldmech619]

15:17. Wow. MIRI Just thinking of the technical advancements we have made thanks to some awesome engineers.

[@KarlosRaver]

I can't describe in words how blown my mind is right now, imagine showing someone this video a 100 years ago

[@nicholaspetersen1629]

Indeed! What would Galileo and Newton have said?! Stunned opened mouths in wonderment, we are blessed

[@CIMiclette]

"this video is getting long" BAH! I'd watch full hour long documentaries from you if you made them. Awesome work!

[@RichardLaurence]

A wonderful summary of the stupendous scientific achievement behind Webb!

[@flippert0]

This is the most thorough and best coverage of JWST's instruments for the layman on YT so far. Thanks, Christian!

[@justharvey337]

"if a picture is worth a thousand words, then spectra is worth a thousand pictures" somehow this felt really nerdy and yet really cool at the same time

[@bravo-93]

On one end the graphics look incredibly complex, yet on the other end Christian’s voice is so incredibly calm and informative it’s just so easy to make sense of the whole thing. Many thanks!

[@BIGV1N]

I've heard all the acronyms before but NEVER have had such a detailed explanation of what they do and how they actually work! Top notch information!

[@AlphaZuluPhotography]

Thank you! Finally someone who wants to nerd out on the instruments and not just talk about how it’s orbiting or how big the sun shield is.

[@reggiebald2830]

I'm so thankful for those capable of building the Webb (& typ) & of course those capable of explaining it's operation (you)! Keep learning & supporting continuing education! Which is what The JWST is all about!

[@Dan5482]

Those Launch Pad Astronomy videos are excellent, and they are getting better and better. This channel deserves at least one million subscribers.

[@iitzfizz]

can't believe it's almost been 2 months since webb launched, feels like yesterday! can't wait for the first proper images after calibration!

[@gerstmanndavid]

The detail that you share with us about JWST is highly appreciated and the length of the video is not an issue. I expect JWST to blow our theories of the universe out of the water, even the ones we take most for granted. Keep up the great work!

[@DerLamer]

Now THIS is the kind of science video I like to watch!

[@tha8baller]

As a Canadian I am so proud the CSA could contribute the NIRISS module and the Fine Guidance Sensor to Webb. The ability to analyze exoplanet atmospheres in particular is incredible and will hopefully help find Earth 2.0 as well as a million other worlds out there…

[@LaunchPadAstronomy]

It was everything in me not to go deeper on NIRISS and especially the FGS side. A superb contribution by CSA!

[@tha8baller]

@@LaunchPadAstronomy a separate episode in the future then? The implications of studying both star formation in the first galaxies and the ability to do spectroscopy on exoplanets is massive! Thanks for your work!

[@awesomelyshorticles]

I rewatched this video 3 times because it's the best video ever. The script is great, editing sublime, and tells me more than anybody else does

[@LaunchPadAstronomy]

Wow, thank you so much for the kind words!

[@yoruneko34]

The quality and educational value of this video is mind blowing. Also that low key humor is the cherry on the cake.

[@BradBo1140]

As a fan of all things space, this was a great educational video. i wish more people were as excited about WEBB as I am.

[@sand1307]

I work with refrigeration systems daily and have been dying to know the details of the cryocooler. Such incredible equipment

[@rhoddryice5412]

LPA is worth a thousand good astronomy channels. This video on JWST instruments was so packed with information I think you must have broken some kind of law of physics. I suppose I’ll watch this one again a few times. Thank you.

[@LaunchPadAstronomy]

You're very kind, thanks so much!

[@megaman.tunisia]

Thank you for this. Sometimes, looking at all the suffering caused nowadays by sheer human ignorance and greed, one comes to believe that idiocy is almost the standard human condition. However, thinking about people like Mike Menzel and all the amazing experts on the James Webb and Ariane team working to push the limits of science with sheer passion and humble intelligence makes me proud to share with them and all of us that same fundamental nature that turns all of our eyes to the sky on a clear night.

[@vissitorsteve]

This the most detailed and informative explanation of Webb than any other channel I've found. Thank you!

[@benw4467]

So informative, thank you! Please do an equally in depth video just about the cryo systems of MIRI and the rest of Webb!

[@chrisholdread174]

The level of thought and planning that went into Webb blows my mind, I don't think I could have achieved 10% if I lived for 1000 years

[@leogama3422]

Of course, being in love distracts from work

[@guyh3403]

The ease with how you manage to explain very complex things so even I understand them is from beyond this planet. Thank you so much for your efforts sir!

[@barrynamon1937]

This is arguably the best and most detailed Webb explainer video on YT. Really glad I found this channel, I'm so excited for the prospect of what Webb will unravel

[@erichaynes7502]

Hi Christian, I can't thank you enough for your great series of videos on James Webb. Truly award winning!

[@LaunchPadAstronomy]

Thank you so much, Eric. I really enjoy making them and I’m so glad you’re enjoying them as well.

[@davidinmossy]

Damn no wonder it took so long to build the engineering problems are insane !! Well done to everyone involved !

[@jakeireland6810]

Mind blown! Thanks or just the right level of technical detail for a non-specialist (I'm an architect) to start to properly appreciate this amazing achievement.

[@HuygensOptics]

Your videos are so detailed and well presented! I always had the idea that the imaging systems were basically a large ccd and some gratings. This video really opened my eyes as for the complexity of the scientific instruments inside space telescopes. Well done!

[@bperwien08]

Just wanted to let you know I appreciate you helping me understand Webb better.... truly the more I understand the more excited I get

[@lumanaughty1025]

I could watch those animations of light moving through the instruments all day

[@porscheguy5848]

Been waiting for this video for a while. Was well worth the wait! You’re description of complex topics is perfect

[@thomaskidd7487]

Thank you very much for pulling this together; this is a really wonderful summary.

[@sleeplessdev7204]

Great video! I appreciate how detailed you get; explaining not just what the components do, but how they work as well. Would love to hear more about MIRI's cooler!

[@TOM-gw7jj]

What a great source of information that is delivered so clearly. Thanks to everyone who makes it possible.

[@kinesis28]

Utterly brilliant channel. Such a superb upload too, I don't think I'm ever going to stop being amazed at how astonishing the JWST is. The next few years are going to be super exciting!

[@garyquinn8014]

Terrific Video! There are dozens of Webb videos telling basically the same things. This is the first one I've seen which goes into a lot of detail (with fabulous graphics !) about the instruments themselves. Great work - Thankyou

[@ThatCrazyKid0007]

Man the engineering on those instruments is just nuts. Great video, really appreciate the overview of how these things work.

[@willemmaas9813]

Thank you again for another detailed explanatory video. The more I learn from the instruments on Webb the more l realize the technical know-how and building of all the components couldn't happen overnight.

[@cyndicorinne]

Wow the level of detail is amazing in this coverage. Thank you!

[@domenicm1555]

Thank you for doing these videos!! 🙌🏼

[@user-bl1pw2th4l]

Fantastic video. Great detail on the instruments that no one else has gone over properly yet

[@siberx4]

It must have been a packaging and optical path nightmare to get all these instruments working off the same primary light cone! I looked up JWST's focal ratio and found it was an extremely long f/20 (actually a bit shorter than Hubble's f/24 though), which certainly helps when you have to stuff this many different things in the light path without them obstructing each other. Thanks for the great video; tons of deep detail with clear explanations and imagery. I'm looking forward to future episodes.

[@fliprim]

Quite superb! Juicy detail, mouth wateringly illustrated and presented. A delight.

[@beesod6412]

Superb video Christian, I've been quite curious about the instruments. Thank You!

[@YannickC]

I stopped watching JWST videos because they all say the same thing, but when I saw the title of your video, I knew I had to watch that one! You didn't deceive me! I had no idea how complex its instruments are, it's amazing! Best video I've watched about JWST ever, keep up the good work 👌

[@LaunchPadAstronomy]

Thank you so much!

[@shriq177]

I’ve been waiting for someone to make an in depth vid about Webb’s instruments, thanks.

[@scottantonille784]

I spent 20 years working on optical design, analysis, and test for JWST. The MIRI-MRS optical design is possibly the most complex and amazing optical designs I have ever seen. The MRS is a marvel of engineering within the marvel of engineering that JWST is.

[@kumasenlac5504]

The optical design of the spectrometer section (excluding the pre-optics) of the MRS was carried out on a train journey from Schiphol to Heidelberg. The UK contingent was joined by their Netherlands colleagues (purely by chance) and they had a few hours to kill and a carriage to themselves. What else were they going to do ?

[@connector8748]

Tons of valuable information. Thank you for this presentation

[@PRODIGY5369]

Once again, another outstanding vid from LPA going deep into the tech behind JWST. Thank you sir.

[@dleddy14]

This video is exactly what I have been looking for. Thanks!

[@xavierpaquin]

The highest-quality content out there... Thanks for sharing your knowledge!

[@Voulltapher]

Thanks for the great video! Would love to hear you nerd out about the cooling video in a future video.

[@rJaune]

Thank you so much, Christian! That was interesting and very informative.

[@dariushmilani6760]

Once again, thank you for your clear explanation.👍👍❤❤

[@Roger-go6jc]

Thanks for the explanation. I will replay this quite a few times to try to understand the comlexities. Brilliant machine. Love your mind and how you translate to us.

[@wolfgangparz1308]

Thanks, that was exactly the information I was hoping to learn about -great

[@vieczurable]

That's what is most fascinating about whole mission. Exactly what I was waiting for. Big, big THANK YOU for this. 🤩🤩🤩

[@PieterPatrick]

I needed this video... ...Thanks for going into the details!

[@longboardfella5306]

Thank you. Incredibly uplifting!

[@b1lleman]

This channel is amazing, and extremely interesting. Thank you.

[@shammyh]

Been waiting for this video!! Thank you!!

[@LaunchPadAstronomy]

Hope you enjoyed it!

[@abidshah3105]

I didn't find such knowledge about JWST in any documentary as you explained..great job sir thanks

[@mohammadsadaan6450]

My word so much details. Hats off to you. Channel like this KZbin is worth it

[@Jay-sl9jo]

I have watched a lot of videos on JWST ever since launch, and this was the first one that really put into perspective just how much more amazing JWST images will be than anything we have seen previously. You did a fantastic job at breaking this piece of seemingly alien tech down into something a layman can understand. Please do nerd out on the cryogenic cooling system next time, I was actually bummed you didn't go into it!! Also wanted to add that the visualization of the light bouncing around the mirrors was jaw-dropping. It was one of those "huh, humanity sure has come a long way." moments. I can't wait to see what kind of beauty and knowledge this telescope will bring us!

[@mathevideos9909]

Wow. Just wow! Thank you so much. This is a gift!

[@SteveJones379]

Looking forward to the adventure! Great video! Thank you

[@marcusambler4205]

Great video... Thank you for the quality deep dive on James Web instruments... Learned a lot

[@LaunchPadAstronomy]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@executivesteps]

Another great job. Thanks.

[@yerbeilisready8562]

This is excellent! Thank you!

[@MarkHopewell]

An absolutely smashing presentation. What a relief someone has taken the trouble to do into much greater technical depth. I'm often asking JPL to do the same. Alas... This presentation, however, more than just wets the appetite. Thank you.

[@BenThere_DoneThat]

Incredible content! Thank you!

[@maskalya01]

THE DETAILS ARE MIND BLOWING WILL KEEP REFERRING TO THEM IN THE FUTURE

[@DaveWhiteInYoFace]

Love your videos! Keep it up brother! 😎

[@decepticon1SB]

Amazing technology and very well explained!

[@Hey_MikeZeroEcho22P]

THAT ..... was an Incredible posting!!! You narrate this video so well! Those instruments just got me All Jazzed to see what they can do!! Especially MIRI !! From its imaging to it spectrograph capabilities You got a New 'Subscriber'!

[@chensergeant5959]

Simply great. Thank you.

[@chel3SEY]

These videos are just wonderful.

[@wasp89898989]

This is exceptionally informative. Superb content!

[@LaunchPadAstronomy]

Much appreciated!

[@chdarwin05]

Awesome video! Thank you!

[@Nithincr1]

Well explained.. Thanks!

[@firstnamelastname9918]

+1 for the correct use of "literally"! Thank you for your very friendly and accessible work :)

[@aleksandar4923]

Wow video quality is just stunning, great job man cryo cooler explanation would be great in the next video :D

[@Fantasmamuerto]

10/10 absolutely beautiful video!!

[@jordank1813]

I would LOVE to see a whole video of you nerding out in explanation of Webb's Cryo-cooling system.

[@jimcarpenter965]

Fantastic presentation. Thank you!

[@monstercolorfunco4391]

best episode so far... nice gfx and top quality writing.

[@LaunchPadAstronomy]

Thank you so very much!

[@philflip1963]

Great information on interesting maters, thanks.

[@andrewmcfarland57]

Another excellent exegesis. Please don't be shy about nerding out on the gory details of the closed-cycle cryo-cooler. 🙂

[@medea27]

Awesome video! The perfect mix of technical & functional explanations 👌 And please feel free to nerd-out about the cooling system in a future video... it's an acoustic system if I recall correctly? I've seen a few videos about the basics of the system (which is ridiculously cool engineering... pardon the pun!) so I'd love to understand how it's applied on JWST, especially with the issues of vibration being so critical 🤓👍

[@BleughBleugh]

Thanks for this, never realised how complex it is!, staying for more content 🙂

[@philipstargate]

Mesmerizing yet we can say it's just the beginning! The future of humanity is just so incredible

[@zaz4667]

Thats a lot of light bouncing around inside the telescope! All that knowledge just melted my brain! SWEET!

[@leogama3422]

Why so much zigzag, right? Someone from ESA answered me on Twitter that this is because of size restrictions for the instruments compartment. It needed to fit in the rocket's fairing and could not be folded like the shields or the mirror.