James Webb Space Telescope suffers 1st noticeable micrometeoroid impact just months into flight

[Admin]

NASA's next-generation space observatory has sustained its first noticeable micrometeoroid impact less than six months after launch, but the agency isn't too concerned.

James Webb Space Telescope suffers 1st noticeable micrometeoroid impact just months into flight : Read more

 

[Unclear Engineer]

This "unexpected" meteoroid that was "larger than modeled" seems like it might be associated with the early tau Herculid meteors reported on May 27th. see https://www.space.com/possible-early-tau-herculids-caught-camera

Because of the hype generated about a possible "meteor storm" on May 30/31, I am wondering why the Webb telescope was not positioned to protect the mirror surfaces in anticipation of that potential meteor storm.

The debris from comet 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 is not flying around in a ball, so much as being strung out along (and around) the comet's orbital path.

 

[Helio]

Good question. Perhaps at L2, the mirror, if pointing outward, would not take any impacts. But this assumes the comet's orbit is prograde. [I failed to find orbital direction in my quick search.]