James Webb Space Telescope
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is a large, infrared-optimized space telescope launched on 25 December 2021. It is a joint project between NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA), and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). The primary scientific objectives of the JWST include studying the early universe, galaxy formation and evolution, and the formation of stars and planetary systems. The telescope is also used to study the atmospheres of exoplanets to search for signs of life. The JWST is positioned at the second Lagrange point (L2) of the Earth-Sun system, located about 1.5 million km (930,000 mi) away from Earth, and uses a 6.5-meter primary mirror to collect and focus infrared light from the most distant objects in the universe.
James Webb Space Telescope is in the constellation of
Orion,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
View interactive star map
High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where James Webb Space Telescope is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is James Webb Space Telescope?, a page that provides all the information needed to find James Webb Space Telescope in the sky and additional links to sky charts.
Celestial Coordinates
Apparent
J2000
Additional Information
Rise and Set Times
Today's rise,
transit and set times of
James Webb Space Telescope from
Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
Azimuth: 78.4°
Max altitude: 50.3°
Azimuth: 281.7°
- James Webb Space Telescope is
above the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Right now it is placed in the East direction at an altitude of 11.78° above the horizon.
- Go to interactive sky chart
If you need to access this information frequently for your observations, you can create a simple
customized Quick Access page,
so that you can easily bookmark it in your browser favorites or add a shortcut to your mobile phones' home screen.
Distance from Earth
- James Webb Space Telescope is above the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Right now it is placed in the East direction at an altitude of 11.78° above the horizon.
- Go to interactive sky chart
The distance of James Webb Space Telescope from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of James Webb Space Telescope from Earth as a function of time. In the chart the distance data is measured in Astronomical Units and sampled with an interval of 1 day.
The value of the reported distance might be somewhat inaccurate around the times of closest approach for objects passing extremely close to Earth. The value of the distance of James Webb Space Telescope from Earth is also available as a real time updated value in the Live Position and Data Tracker.
Closest Approach
Between 26 December 2021 and 27 October 2029, the closest approach of James Webb Space Telescope to Earth happens on Sun Dec 26 2021 at a distance of 0.000894 Astronomical Units, or 133,698 kilometers:
NOTE: values for the closest approach are computed with a sampling interval of 1 day.
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of James Webb Space Telescope computed for the past and next 7 days, with a 24 hours interval. Apparent celestial coordinates are provided.
| Date | Right AscensionR.A. | DeclinationDec. | MagnitudeMag | Constellation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 Dec 01 | 05h 48m 37s | +13° 21’ 44” | N.A. | Taurus |
| 2024 Dec 02 | 05h 49m 31s | +13° 06’ 00” | N.A. | Taurus |
| 2024 Dec 03 | 05h 50m 22s | +12° 50’ 54” | N.A. | Taurus |
| 2024 Dec 04 | 05h 51m 10s | +12° 36’ 27” | N.A. | Taurus |
| 2024 Dec 05 | 05h 51m 54s | +12° 22’ 40” | N.A. | Orion |
| 2024 Dec 06 | 05h 52m 36s | +12° 09’ 35” | N.A. | Orion |
| 2024 Dec 07 | 05h 53m 16s | +11° 57’ 11” | N.A. | Orion |
| 2024 Dec 08 | 05h 53m 56s | +11° 45’ 27” | N.A. | Orion |
| 2024 Dec 09 | 05h 54m 35s | +11° 34’ 24” | N.A. | Orion |
| 2024 Dec 10 | 05h 55m 13s | +11° 23’ 59” | N.A. | Orion |
| 2024 Dec 11 | 05h 55m 51s | +11° 14’ 12” | N.A. | Orion |
| 2024 Dec 12 | 05h 56m 29s | +11° 04’ 58” | N.A. | Orion |
| 2024 Dec 13 | 05h 57m 07s | +10° 56’ 19” | N.A. | Orion |
| 2024 Dec 14 | 05h 57m 44s | +10° 48’ 10” | N.A. | Orion |
Additional Resources
- Position and finder charts (see also Where is James Webb Space Telescope?)
- Distance from Earth (see also How far is James Webb Space Telescope from Earth?)
- When does James Webb Space Telescope rise and set?
- Interactive orbit visualization. 3d visualization showing the orbit of James Webb Space Telescope with respect to the major Solar System objects.
- 15 days ephemerides. Table showing celestial coordinates and magnitude of James Webb Space Telescope for the past and next 7 days.
- Interactive sky chart. An online planetarium application that shows where to locate James Webb Space Telescope in the sky from your location.
- Live position tracker. A high precision sky chart that uses real deep sky imagery to help locate James Webb Space Telescope with your telescope or on your astrophotographies.