4 | JANUARY 13 • 2022 

for openers
Happy Healthy New Year! 
G

roundhog Day is less than 
a month away and there’s a 
major change coming to the 
annual celebration in Punxsutawney, 
Pennsylvania. That’s right, this year 
is not about whether 
Punxsutawney Phil will 
see his shadow when he 
emerges from his burrow 
on Feb. 2, but rather will 
he be wearing a mask? Pray 
not, we don’t need six more 
weeks of the pandemic.
There is actually some-
thing really exciting to look 
forward to in 2022 — likely sometime 
in June. That’s when, fingers crossed, 
the recently launched Webb Telescope 
is scheduled to begin transmitting its 
first images from 1 million miles out in 
space, providing us with a whole new 
perspective about our very existence. 
The telescope was conceived in 
1996 but cost overruns, redesigns and 
COVID-19 led to an eventual 25-year 
labor, without the benefit of an epidural.
It’s fascinating to follow the progress 
of the telescope in real time at www.
jwst.nasa.gov, which includes distance 
traveled, miles left to final orbit, speed, 
temperatures and what the in-flight 
movie is. 
The telescope is currently traveling at 
3,190 mph, which in Earth terms means 
you could fly to Los Angeles in 43 min-
utes, still enough time for a passenger 
to get in a fight for not wearing a mask. 
That is if the flight isn’t already among 
the thousands of flights currently being 
canceled.
The James Webb Space Telescope 
website says the infrared telescope “will 
explore a wide range of science ques-
tions to help us understand the origins 
of the universe and our place in it. 
Seeking light from the first galaxies in 
the universe … directly observe a part 
of space and time never seen before … 
gaze into the epoch when the very first 
stars and galaxies formed, over 13.5 
billion years ago.” To put in perspective 

just how long ago that really is, that’s 
13,499,999,935 years longer than the 
Lions last won a championship.
In the hoopla over this marvel of 
technology, let’s not forget the accom-
plishments of Webb’s distinguished pre-
decessor, the Hubble Telescope. While 
it’s still a functioning satellite, NASA 
was able to get the new Webb Telescope 
for just $10 billion as part of a federally 
sponsored Telescope Lease Pull Ahead 
Program. 
For the last 32 years, Hubble has been 
transmitting breathtaking images of 
space but is positioned just a mere 340 
miles above Earth. Can you imagine 
what we are in store for when Webb 
begins transmitting from a million miles 
away? 
Hubble, though, will always have one 
major advantage over Webb, its acces-
sible for service calls. The last one was 
in May 2009, when astronauts aboard 
the space shuttle Atlantis docked on the 
telescope to perform upgrades during 
several spacewalks over nearly 13 days.
On the occasion of Hubble’s 25th 
anniversary in April 2019, I shared 
in the JN the transcript of the last 
communication between Hubble and the 
astronaut who performed the routine 
checkup on the telescope’s lenses. It read 
as follows:
Astronaut: “Hubble, do you see better 
through lens Number 1 or Number 2?”
Hubble: “2.”
Astronaut: “Number 2 or Number 3?”
Hubble: “Um, can you do that again?”
Astronaut: “Sure. 2 or 3?”
Hubble: “Gosh, they’re so close.”
Astronaut: “Number 2 or 3?”
Hubble: I’ll say 3. Wait, 2. No, sorry, 
3.”
With the end of the Space Shuttle 
program, there are no scheduled flights 
to Hubble, but Jeff Bezos just announced 
that if Hubble — which is expected to 
need progressive lenses by the time 
it turns 50 — orders them through 
Amazon, he’ll deliver them aboard one 
of his Blue Origin rockets. Free if they 

sign up for Prime.
Arguably, one of the most fascinating 
capabilities of the Webb Telescope will 
be its ability to study planets outside our 
solar system, including conducting tests 
to determine if their atmospheres show 
any signs of life. 
Unfortunately, the telescope won’t 
be able to go as far as determining 
intelligent life, which is a shame, since 
we here on Earth are experiencing an 
ever-growing shortage of it.
I’m hoping as you’re reading this 
NASA was successful in its initial 
attempt to begin deploying Webb’s 
mirror made up of 18 hexagonal-
shaped gold coated beryllium panels. 
The panels were folded to fit into the 
Ariane 5 rocket payload, which was the 
maximum allowed carry-on luggage. 
According to NASA, the unfurling of 
Webb’s giant mirror is just one of 300 
ways the telescope could fail. 
Boy, can you imagine the angst 
NASA’s Webb team must be going 
through? I can. I’m just about ready to 
turn on and set up my new, just received 
Apple iPhone 13 … Houston, we have a 
problem. 

Alan Muskovitz is a writer, voice-over/acting 
talent, speaker, and emcee. Visit his website at 

laughwithbigal.com,”Like” Al on Facebook and 

reach him at amuskovitz@thejewishnews.com.

Alan 
Muskovitz
Contributing 
Writer

PURELY COMMENTARY

NASA’s James Webb 
Space Telescope

WIKIPEDIA

