While the city awaits a space shuttle, NASA has brought in a full-scale model of their James Webb Space Telescope as part of the 2010 World Science Festival. This will be the world's most powerful spacescope, and its replica is currently on display at Battery Park. Columbia University physicist Brian Greene explains its power, saying, "We may be able to finally get an understanding of how galaxies form, how planets form, how stars form, in detail. Maybe we'll figure out the dark energy that we've learned is the fusion of the cosmos forcing space to expand."
According to FOX, the model is constructed mainly of aluminum and steel, is about the size of a tennis court, and weighs 12,000 pounds. Here's a look at it getting built over a period of 5 days:
The real telescope won't be ready until 2014, but here's what you'll get to experience if you visit the Battery Park site.
