This landscape of “mountains” and “valleys” speckled with glittering stars is actually the edge of a nearby, young, star-forming region called NGC 3324 in the Carina Nebula. Captured in infrared light by NASA’s new James Webb Space Telescope, this image reveals for the first time previously invisible areas of star birth.
This landscape of “mountains” and “valleys” speckled with glittering stars is actually the edge of a nearby, young, star-forming region called NGC 3324 in the Carina Nebula. Captured in infrared light by NASA’s new James Webb Space Telescope, this image reveals for the first time previously invisible areas of star birth. (Courtesy of NASA)
In an enormous new image, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope reveals never-before-seen details of galaxy group “Stephan’s Quintet.”
In an enormous new image, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope reveals never-before-seen details of galaxy group “Stephan’s Quintet.” (Courtesy of NASA)
Compare views of the Southern Ring nebula and its pair of stars by Webb’s NIRCam (L) & MIRI (R) instruments. The dimmer, dying star is expelling gas and dust that Webb sees through in unprecedented detail. (Courtest of NASA)
Webb spotted the unambiguous signature of water, indications of haze & evidence for clouds (once thought not to exist there). (Courtest of NASA/Courtest of NASA)
Webb captured this light curve of the brightness of WASP-96 b’s parent star over time. As the planet transits the star’s disk, its light dims. Though aspects of WASP-96 b were known, Webb data adds more detail to existing measurements. (Courtest of NASA)
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has produced the deepest and sharpest infrared image of the distant universe to date. Known as Webb’s First Deep Field, the image shows galaxy cluster SMACS 0723.
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has produced the deepest and sharpest infrared image of the distant universe to date. Known as Webb’s First Deep Field, the image shows galaxy cluster SMACS 0723. (Space Telescope Science Institute Office of Public Outreach/NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI)
The Aft Optics Subsystem (AOS) is at the center of JWST's primary mirror; light is sent there by the secondary mirror. In the AOS is JWST's tertiary mirror. From there light is sent via pick-off mirrors to our instruments.
Fully functional, 1/6th scale model of the JWST mirror in optics testbed. (Courtest of NASA)
The James Webb Space Telescope's 18 mirrors are seen fully installed on the James Webb Space Telescope structure at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.
The James Webb Space Telescope's 18 mirrors are seen fully installed on the James Webb Space Telescope structure at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. (Chris Gunn/Courtesy of NASA)
Launch teams monitor the countdown to the launch of Arianespace's Ariane 5 rocket carrying NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, Saturday, Dec. 25, 2021, in the Jupiter Center at the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana. The James Webb Space Telescope (sometimes called JWST or Webb) is a large infrared telescope with a 21.3 foot (6.5 meter) primary mirror. (Bill Ingalls/Courtesy of NASA)
Engineering teams celebrate at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore as the second primary mirror wing of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope unfolds, before beginning the process of latching the mirror wing into place, Saturday, Jan. 8, 2022. (Bill Ingalls/Courtesy of NASA)
ESA (European Space Agency) Director-General Dr. Josef Aschbacher, 2nd from left, and NASA Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate Thomas Zurbuchen, 3rd from left, celebrate after hearing confirmation that the James Webb Space Telescope successfully separated from the Ariane 5 rocket, Saturday, Dec. 25, 2021. (Bill Ingalls/Courtesy of NASA)