James Webb Space Telescope belongs to the Common Era — dated here to c. 2021 CE at L2 Lagrange point. Dates mark a scholarly centre of gravity (dedication, completion, or iconic phase), not a single foundation day.
A origami gold mirror unfolding a million miles from Earth — seeing the first galaxies’ light.
How it amazes the brain
18 hexagonal segments, sunshield the size of a tennis court, cryogenic instruments.
Why it counts as a wonder
It never needed a contest ballot to scramble the brain: scale, craft, or sheer improbability is enough.
A wonder that sends postcards from the dawn of time.
On dating
CE means years after the traditional birth of Christ. A monument listed as c. 2021 CE may have been founded earlier, rebuilt later, or become famous only in one phase. Engineering wonders (dams, tunnels, orbiting labs) are dated to opening or assembly.
This is story 79 of 100 in The Trend Ledger’s illustrated desk on world wonders raised after the birth of Christ — the companions to our BCE series.