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Images from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope: After a sneak peek at a galaxy-strewn image from deep space, NASA officials are now revealing more of their inaugural preview from the James Webb Space Telescope, the largest and most powerful orbiting observatory ever launched.
And it seems that there can be clouds in another world! NASA’s Webb Telescope has captured the signature of water on the gas giant planet WASP 96-b, which orbits a star 1,150 light-years away. “For the first time, we have discovered evidence of clouds in the atmosphere of this exoplanet,” NASA tweeted.
Clouds on another world. @NASAWebb captured the signature of water on giant gas planet WASP 96-b, which orbits a star 1,150 light-years away. For the first time, we’ve detected evidence of clouds in this exoplanet’s atmosphere: https://t.co/63zxpNDi4I #UnfoldTheUniverse pic.twitter.com/f3HOX0HKis
— NASA (@NASA) July 12, 2022
NASA shared more images, saying: “Some stars went out with a bang. In these images of the Southern Ring Nebula, NASA’s Webb Telescope shows a dying star shrouded in dust and layers of light.”
Some stars go out with a bang. In these images of the Southern Ring planetary nebula, @NASAWebb shows a dying star cloaked by dust and layers of light. Explore this star’s final performance at https://t.co/63zxpNDi4I #UnfoldTheUniverse. pic.twitter.com/dfzrpvrewQ
— NASA (@NASA) July 12, 2022
NASA also shared images of “clusters of galaxies showing huge shock waves and tidal tails.”
Take Five: Captured in exquisite detail, @NASAWebb peered through the thick dust of Stephan’s Quintet, a galaxy cluster showing huge shockwaves and tidal tails. This is a front-row seat to galactic evolution: https://t.co/63zxpNDi4I #UnfoldTheUniverse pic.twitter.com/em9wSJPkEU
— NASA (@NASA) July 12, 2022
NASA selected the first batch of full-color, high-resolution images that took weeks to render from the telescope’s raw data to provide impressive early images of key areas of Webb’s exploration and a preview of the science missions ahead. A $9 billion infrared telescope built for NASA by aerospace giant Northrop Grumman Corp is expected to revolutionize astronomy by allowing scientists to peer further and with greater clarity into space than before, to the dawn of the known universe.
Four other photos released on Tuesday featured additional images of the cosmic beauty. With one exception, the latest images showed parts of the universe seen by other telescopes. But Webb’s sheer power, remote location beyond Earth and use of the infrared light spectrum showed them in a new light. “Each image is a new discovery, and each one will give humanity a view of humanity that we’ve never seen before,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said Tuesday, the AP reported, rhapsodizing over images showing “star formation, devouring black holes.” .”
Webb’s use of the infrared light spectrum allows the telescope to see through cosmic dust and “see light from distant light from the corners of space,” he said. “We have really changed our understanding of the universe,” said European Space Agency Director General Josef Aschbacher.
Webb, a partnership between NASA, the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency, was launched on Christmas Day 2021 and reached its destination in a solar orbit nearly 1 million miles from Earth a month later. Once in place, the telescope underwent a month-long process of unpacking all its components, including a tennis court-sized sun shield, adjusting the mirrors and calibrating the instruments, Reuters reported.
With Webb now fine-tuned and fully focused, astronomers will embark on a competitive list of science projects exploring the evolution of galaxies, the life cycles of stars, the atmospheres of distant exoplanets and the moons of our outer solar system.
