An astrophysicist from Wicklow has revealed how he helped to design the largest and most powerful telescope ever sent into space, which this week has captured phenomenal photographs of galaxies far beyond our own.
NASA's release of images from the James Webb Space Telescope has delighted scientist around the world, including the team from the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS) which played an important role in designing the new telescope. The team from Ireland was led by Dr Tom Ray and Dr Paddy Kavanagh, and they contributed to the design and fabrication of one of four science instruments on the Webb - the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI).
Dr Kavanagh is an astrophysicist and a software developer, and his work involves analysing and interpreting the data collected by the Webb Telescope. Speaking to Dublin Live this week, Dr Kavanagh explained how the new photographs mark an important milestone in the exploration of space.
