(From Astronomy Picture of the Day)
The video below shows the separation of the James Webb Space Telescope from the Ariane 5 launch vehicle provide by the European Space Agency. Just over a minute in you can see the Webb's solar array deploy.
Launched on December 25, the Webb will take about a month to reach its permanent position, almost a million miles from Earth (more than three times further than the distant from Earth to the Moon). That position is designed to be near equilibrium between the gravitational pull of the Earth and Sun.
The Webb will be able to peer much deeper into the universe than its predecessor, the Hubble Space Telescope, and with greater clarity. Effectively, it will be able to see much further back in time, closer to the birth of the universe. Can't wait to see the pictures and learn about the new discoveries.
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