The James Webb Space Telescope, launched on 25 December 2021, does not orbit the Earth. It circles a point in space called Sun–Earth L2, about 1.5 million km from the Earth on the side away from the Sun, four times farther than the Moon. There, the Sun, the Earth and the Moon stay on the same side, and a sunshield the size of a tennis court keeps the telescope in the cold and dark it needs to see infrared light. Its golden mirror, 6.5 m across, collects light from the first galaxies, from stars being born and from the atmospheres of planets around other stars. It travels around the Sun with the Earth, once a year.
Where is the James Webb Space Telescope?
Computing…
About James Webb Space Telescope
- Agency
- NASA / ESA / CSA
- Launched
- 2021-12-25
- Status
- Active
Goals
Webb is the largest infrared space telescope ever built, designed to look back to the first stars and galaxies that formed after the Big Bang. It studies how galaxies, stars and planetary systems are born, and analyses the atmospheres of planets around other stars, including worlds that might have conditions suitable for life. It builds on the discoveries of Hubble.
Today
Arrived at L2 2022-01-24; science since July 2022. Cycle 5 began July 2026 (STScI). ESA extended its Webb participation in June 2026.
Questions and answers
How far away is the James Webb telescope?
About 1.5 million km from the Earth; its orbit around L2 makes the distance vary, and the live value is shown above.
Can astronauts repair Webb?
No: it is far beyond the reach of crewed spacecraft, unlike Hubble, which orbits the Earth.
Where the numbers come from
Values refresh every second in your browser; the published data are checked every 10 minutes and updated several times a day.