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A full-scale model of NASA's James Webb space telescope was unveiled in front of dozens of city students Tuesday morning in Battery Park.

Measuring 80-feet long, 37-feet wide and nearly 40-feet high, the model is a replica of the one being launched in 2014, to observe the most distant objects in the universe.

The telescope is the centerpiece of the festival, which features 40 science programs in backgrounds including astronomy, physics, and genetics, among others.

"This telescope is all about the spirit of discovery, it's all about the celebration of exploration into the unknown, and those are just the themes that the world science festival is all about," said World Science Festival Co-Founder Brian Greene.

"The idea of the festival is to demystify science and get people to think differently about it and see that it's an adventure, it's exciting, it's fun,” said World Science Festival President Judy Cox. “We have programs all over town, in the streets and parks and theaters of New York, and it's for all ages – completely accessible, understandable, but real science."

Students who attended the event also heard from John Grunsfeld, a veteran of five space flights including three missions to service the Hubble space telescope.

"Everytime we build a new telescope like this, scientists and the theorists have ideas about what we will discover, but there are always surprises," Grunsfeld said.

Scientists hope the telescope will lead to the discovery of hidden worlds around distant stars, perhaps unveiling the very first galaxies formed in the universe.

"We're trying to catch that moment to look right as those first stars blink on," said Blake Bullock of Northrop Grumman.

The World Science Festival runs through Sunday.

For more information, go to WorldScienceFestival.com.

NY1 and parent company Time Warner Cable are proud to partner with Connect A Million Minds, to highlight education through science, technology, engineering and math. For more on this initiative, go to ConnectAMillionMinds.com.