James Webb Space Telescope closes in on destination, but why there?

NASA and the European Space Agency's James Webb Space Telescope has almost reached its destination, but why was it sent there?

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NASA recently announced that the James Webb Space Telescope has almost reached its destination, but why is it traveling to that specific point in space?

The European Space Agency (ESA) that partnered with NASA for the construction of the James Webb Space Telescope announced via its Webb Telescope Twitter account that Webb has crossed the "1 million km mark", or 621,371 miles, and has "now completed 2/3 of the distance."

Webb is on its way to Lagrange Point 2, or L2, which is a specific point in space where the gravitational pull from the Sun, planets, and the motion of Webb orbiting combine to create an equilibrium. NASA and the ESA are sending Webb to L2 because once it's in location, it will require very little energy to maintain orbiting on that plane. Additionally, once Webb is in position, it will stay in line with Earth as our planet orbits the Sun.

James Webb Space Telescope closes in on destination, but why there? 01
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Jak joined the TweakTown team in 2017 and has since reviewed 100s of new tech products and kept us informed daily on the latest science, space, and artificial intelligence news. Jak's love for science, space, and technology, and, more specifically, PC gaming, began at 10 years old. It was the day his dad showed him how to play Age of Empires on an old Compaq PC. Ever since that day, Jak fell in love with games and the progression of the technology industry in all its forms. Instead of typical FPS, Jak holds a very special spot in his heart for RTS games.

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