Launched back in December 2021 at a cost of $10 billion, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is the largest optical telescope in space. Designed for infrared astronomy and surpassing the abilities of the Hubble Space Telescope, JWST was developed by NASA in partnership with the ESA (European Space Agency) and CSA (Canadian Space Agency).
Declared as “the dawn of a new era in astronomy” by NASA, the space agency has just released a collection of extremely detailed and stunning images of unseen space captured by the James Webb Space Telescope.
“Today, we present humanity with a groundbreaking new view of the cosmos from the James Webb Space Telescope – a view the world has never seen before,” said NASA administrator Bill Nelson. “These images, including the deepest infrared view of our universe that has ever been taken, show us how Webb will help to uncover the answers to questions we don’t even yet know to ask; questions that will help us better understand our universe and humanity’s place within it.
“The Webb team’s incredible success is a reflection of what NASA does best. We take dreams and turn them into reality for the benefit of humanity. I can’t wait to see the discoveries that we uncover – the team is just getting started!”
“This is a singular and historic moment,” said Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate. “It took decades of drive and perseverance to get us here, and I am immensely proud of the Webb team. These first images show us how much we can accomplish when we come together behind a shared goal, to solve the cosmic mysteries that connect us all. It’s a stunning glimpse of the insights yet to come.”
“We are elated to celebrate this extraordinary day with the world,” said Greg Robinson, Webb program director at NASA Headquarters. “The beautiful diversity and incredible detail of the Webb telescope’s images and data will have a profound impact on our understanding of the universe and inspire us to dream big.”
All images in this article are courtesy of NASA.
