NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, seen here in an artist's illustration, deployed its final primary mirror segment on Jan. 8, 2022, a critical milestone for its mission to study the universe.

Artist's illustration of NASA's $10 billion James Webb Space Telescope. (Image credit: NASA)

The telescope's powerful eyes are now open and ready to observe the universe.

It took more than six months for technicians to prepare the $10 billion James Webb Space Telescope.

"All of the seventeen ways or'modes' to operate the scientific instruments have been checked out and are ready to begin full scientific operations," the mission team wrote in an update today.

Live updates: NASA's James Webb Space Telescope mission

Related: How the James Webb Space Telescope works in pictures

On December 25, 2021, the Arianespace Ariane V rocket lifted off with the intention of going to the Sun- Earth Lagrange Point 2.

The five-layer sun shield is about the size of a tennis court and was unfurled by the mission team. After the observatory got to L2, the team labored to get all the instruments up to speed.

NASA explained in the update that each instrument can operate in multiple modes. The final mode has been thoroughly reviewed.

The coronagraph capability was the last of the 17 instrument modes to be commissioned and works to mostly block incoming starlight by hiding a mask in front of a target star, suppressing its bright light to increase contrast and enable detection of fainter nearby.

The person will do more than scrutinize the planets. Some of the first stars and galaxies to form in the universe will be peered at by the observatory, as well as studying objects in our own solar system.

Even though it got fully up and running, he was doing such work. The first images from the telescope will be revealed by the president at 5 p.m. At 9:45 a.m., NASA will reveal others. The sun rises at 1345GMT. Both of those big reveals can be watched here at Space.com.

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