Webb is peering across the universe to discover new things about planets, galaxies and other cosmic objects
1 WEBB IS HAILED AS THE GREATEST SPACE BREAKTHROUGH
When Webb launched on 25 December 2021, it was the culmination of decades of work by NASA scientists and engineers. The launch went off without a hitch, as did the numerous steps of the telescope’s deployment in the following months. In mid-July Webb released its stunning first images. The infrared telescope will help us see almost every part of our universe in greater detail, including the most distant galaxies, allowing us a glimpse into the past. “Within days of [Webb] coming online in late June 2022, researchers began discovering thousands of new galaxies more distant and ancient than any previously documented – some perhaps more than 150 million years older than the oldest identified by Hubble,” editors of the journal Science said. The journal named Webb as its Science Breakthrough of 2022, while the journal Nature chose Jane Rigby, Webb’s operations project scientist, to include in their ‘ten people who helped shape science stories’ list for 2022.
“What’s more, the telescope is capable of collecting enough light from astronomical objects – ranging from birthing stars to exoplanets – to reveal what they are made of and how they are moving through space,” the editors of Science said. “This data has already begun to reveal the atmospheric composition of planets hundreds of light years from Earth in great detail, offering hints as to their ability to potentially support life as we know it.”
NASA’s deep-space observing telescope is looking at the universe like never before. The N James Webb Space Telescope is a pathfinder of scientific discovery, generating incredible insights about galaxies, planets, stars and all sorts of interesting cosmic objects. The telescope is near the beginning of its cosmic journey, as it is rated for 20 years of operations and just launched in December 2021. Billed as a successor to the venerable Hubble Space Telescope, Webb is also breaking ground in science excitement.
2 STARS BORN IN THE PILLARS OF CREATION
The Pillars of Creation in the Eagle Nebula have long been one of the Hubble Space Telescope’s most iconic images. But though the telescope, which detects mostly visible light, captured the structure’s impressive clouds, the ‘creation’ happening within them was hidden. Now, Webb’s infrared imaging has managed to capture it in the form of numerous protostars. Appearing as tiny red dots against the smoky backdrop of the pillars, these colle
