Launched just last Christmas and officially operational for over a month, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has enabled astronomers to gaze into horizons of knowledge yet untouched by human exploration. JWST is helping us to reimagine the universe and continue the unfinished chapters of research.
Often compared to the Hubble Space Telescope, Webb was launched after more than two decades of development and at a cost of $10 billion. JWST is currently stable at the L2 point in space, where the cold of the universe allows the telescope’s system to detect faint heat remnants from the formation of the universe, and an advanced shield blocks any light from the Sun that could interfere with signals.
By collecting infrared light, which is invisible to the human eye, Webb can sift through cosmic dust, peering through space and time to obtain data from a universe that is still very young. The images sent back by Webb may show us what the universe looked like between 100 to 250 million years after the Big Bang.
The list of research teams registered to use Webb remains extensive, with many individuals even more anxious than we are—eagerly awaiting new discoveries. Below are just some images from the first data release, and it is certain that the field of astronomy will continue to flourish with other impressive discoveries in the near future.
1. Deep Infrared Image
This image is described as a “deep field” captured by JWST, meaning the telescope took a long exposure of a patch of sky, attempting to collect light emitted from faint objects in the distant universe. According to NASA director Bill Nelson, if you held a grain of sand at arm’s length, that grain would represent the portion of the universe visible in the image below.
Galaxy cluster SMACS 0723.
Light travels fast, but it still takes time to reach us. Some of the light you see in the image is 13 billion years old, meaning it appeared just a few hundred years after the Big Bang.
The image known as Webb’s First Deep Field captures the SMACS 0723 galaxy cluster, which contains thousands of smaller galaxies, including some of the faintest objects ever detected in astronomy. This represents the deepest infrared view ever achieved by humanity, observing SMACS 0723 as it appeared 4.6 billion years ago.
According to NASA, the image took nearly a full day to capture.
2. The Farthest Galaxy We’ve Ever Seen
One of the primary goals of the James Webb Space Telescope is to find galaxies so distant that the light they emit is only a few hundred million years younger than the universe itself. JWST is the most powerful telescope we have, capable of seeing wavelengths of light that are invisible to the naked eye.
Almost immediately, JWST identified the oldest galaxy ever recorded in the history of astronomy.
The ancient galaxy GLASS-z13.
In July, astronomers discovered a collection of stars, gas, and dust bound together by a massive gravitational force. Known as GLASS-z13, this galaxy is 13.5 billion years old and formed just 300 million years after the Big Bang.
To accurately determine the age of these ancient galaxies, researchers will need to further analyze the newly received data.
3. Galactic Collision Events
In August, Webb captured another image of the Cartwheel Galaxy, showcasing unprecedented detail.
Located in the Sculptor constellation, 500 million light-years from the Milky Way, the Cartwheel Galaxy is a ring galaxy formed after the collision of a spiral galaxy with a smaller galaxy. It features two rings: a bright inner ring and an outer ring of material that is still expanding into space.
For the past 440 million years, the outer ring has been moving farther away from the inner ring. As the ring interacts with the gas floating in space, new stars will form.
In the image, data from the Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) is color-coded blue, orange, and yellow. The single blue dots are either stars or regions of new star formation. However, to capture data about the dust in the Cartwheel Galaxy, Webb needed the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI). The red areas in the image indicate regions rich in hydrocarbons and silicate dust spreading outward.
The Cartwheel Galaxy as seen by the MIRI instrument.
4. Observing Earth’s Neighboring Planets
A keen eye can easily spot objects, regardless of their distance. Using Webb, NASA captured stunning images of Jupiter.
Jupiter and its moon Europa shining brightly together, captured by the Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam).
Left: The bright dot is the moon Europa, with the dark shadow on Jupiter being Europa’s shadow; JWST observes light with shorter infrared wavelengths to capture these images. Right: The bright ring is visible with longer infrared wavelengths.
Alongside the giant gas planet are three moons—natural satellites named Europa, Thebe, and Metis. Scientists believe that Europa possesses a salty ocean beneath its icy surface, and based on what we know about life, Europa could be the first celestial body that hosts extraterrestrial life.
5. The Journey to Find Friends in the Universe
JWST can provide data indicating that the atmospheres of distant planets might support life. These signs could include breathable air, an atmosphere capable of producing rain, or traces of compounds representing life, or at least what we understand as “life.”
In just its first year of research, JWST has compiled a list of 70 potential planets.
Jupiter’s moon Europa wrapped in a thick layer of ice.
“This is indeed a fantastic time to explore the universe,” said Lisa Kaltenegger, an astronomy professor at Cornell University. “Are we alone? This amazing space telescope is the first tool that can collect enough light for us to begin analyzing this fundamental question.”
