Starry eyes. NASA revealed the first five images from the James Webb Space Telescope on Tuesday, July 12, after the first photo was released Monday evening by US President Joe Biden.
>> Why the James Webb Telescope will succeed Hubble and revolutionize space observation
A deep picture of the universe
The first image, from Monday, reveals galaxies that formed 13 billion years ago. It shows the Galaxy cluster SMACS 0723. This is the picture “The most accurate and farthest ever obtained. It represents an area of the sky equal to the size of a grain of sand held at arm’s length.”, The National Center for Space Exploration explained on Twitter.
See the deepest and sharpest infrared image of the universe ever taken—in a day’s work from the Webb Telescope. (Actually, it took less than a day to catch!) This is the first image of the web we’re starting with. Expand the #Universe: https://t.co/tlougFWg8B pic.twitter.com/Y7ebmQwT7j
—NASA Webb Telescope (@NASAWebb) July 11, 2022
Carina Nebula: Stellar Nursery
An image released Tuesday shows a spot in the Carina Nebula, located about 7,600 light-years away. “Beauty hurts your eyes”Comments by Eric Lagatec, astrophysicist at the Côte d’Azur Observatory and president of the French Society for Astronomy and Astrophysics. “What we see here is the foam of the waves of the interstellar garment that dances.”, Astrophysicist David Elbas sums it up.
Here is where stars are born in the Carina Nebula. Eye pain is beautiful!!!!! In the orange gas and dust that give rise to stars. pic.twitter.com/A1HEjNF4iE
— Eric Lagadec (@EricLagadec) July 12, 2022
A dying star
James Webb captured the Southern Ring Nebula. It is a dying star, a double star, that is ejecting gas and dust. The image on the left was taken by James Webb’s NIRCam instrument. On the right is another tool called MIRI, which is at James Webb. “We see the birth of complex molecules in the practically dead body of a star, the first step toward complexity, toward life.”, Astrophysicist David Elbas commented to CNES.
Put a ring on it!
Compare views of the Southern Ring Nebula and its companion stars with Webb’s NIRCam (L) & MIRI (R) instruments. The dim, dying star ejects gas and dust, which Webb sees in unprecedented detail: https://t.co/tlougFWg8B Expand the #Universe pic.twitter.com/yOMMmQcAfA
—NASA Webb Telescope (@NASAWebb) July 12, 2022
Group of Galaxies: The Stephens Quintet
Another image shows Stephen’s Quintet, a collection of galaxies. A total of five are visible in this spectacular film, four of which interact in a real gravity dance. The two merge.
✋ Galactic High Five!
In Webb’s picture of Stephen’s quintet, we see 5 galaxies, 4 of which are interacting. (The left galaxy is in the foreground!) Webb will revolutionize our knowledge of star formation and gas interactions in these galaxies: https://t.co/tlougFWg8B Expand the #Universe pic.twitter.com/b2kH1tSyMs
—NASA Webb Telescope (@NASAWebb) July 12, 2022
Traces of water on an exoplanet
It’s not necessarily the prettiest picture, but it makes you dream. Light analysis of exoplanet WASP-96b’s atmosphere shows traces of water. Note that this does not mean that the planet is home to or habitable for any kind of life. But scientists are carefully studying exoplanets that show traces of water.
#web Exoplanet WASP-96 b reveals its steamy atmosphere, capturing the unique signature of water along with evidence of clouds and haze – the most detailed measurements of its kind to date. Read more here: https://t.co/EoDvogJTH7 or below #WebbSeesFarther pic.twitter.com/ylpZjG17D8
— ESA Webb Telescope (@ESA_Webb) July 12, 2022
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