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Behind the Webb: Not So Heavy Metal (Episode 9)

The primary mirror segments of the Webb telescope, along with its secondary and tertiary mirrors, are not made of glass like most mirrors on Earth. They are made of beryllium, a relatively rare metal that is only mined and processed in one place in the western hemisphere. Behind the Webb's Mary Estacion travels to the West Desert of Utah to take a look at what it takes to extract this unique ore.
  • Release Date
    January 13, 2011
  • Credit
    Video: NASA, Mary Estacion (STScI)

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Details

Last Updated
Aug 28, 2025
Contact
Media

Laura Betz
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
laura.e.betz@nasa.gov

Video Credit

NASA, Mary Estacion (STScI)