Webb's First Science-Quality Color Images Released
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope's First Images Showcase the Power of the New Observatory
Today, NASA released the first science-quality color images from the James Webb Space Telescope (Webb), showing a deep field image, a spectrum of an exoplanet, and images and spectra of a nebula, a group of galaxies, and a quasar.
Webb's Deepest Image Ever of the Distant Universe
The Webb Deep Field is the deepest and sharpest infrared image of the distant universe ever taken. The image shows thousands of galaxies, including the faintest objects ever observed in the infrared. The image covers a patch of sky approximately the size of a grain of sand held at arm's length.
Webb Captures the Diversity of Exoplanets
Webb also captured the first spectrum of an exoplanet, a planet outside our solar system. The spectrum shows water vapor in the atmosphere of the exoplanet, providing evidence that the planet has water and could potentially support life. The exoplanet, WASP-96 b, is a gas giant about half the mass of Saturn and orbits a Sun-like star about 1,150 light-years from Earth.
Webb's View of Stellar Birth and Death
Webb also imaged the Carina Nebula, a stellar nursery. The image shows previously unseen details of the nebula, including jets of material being ejected from newborn stars and the formation of new stars. Webb also imaged Stephan's Quintet, a group of five galaxies that are interacting with each other. The image shows the galaxies merging and colliding, creating new stars and galaxies.
Webb Detects the Most Distant Quasar Ever Observed
Webb also detected the most distant quasar ever observed. The quasar, named J1323+3337, is powered by a supermassive black hole that is about 1.2 billion times more massive than the Sun. The quasar is located about 13.3 billion light-years from Earth, making it the most distant object ever observed by Webb.
Conclusion
These first images from Webb are just a taste of the amazing science that the telescope will produce. Webb will revolutionize our understanding of the universe by studying the earliest galaxies, stars, and planets in the universe. The telescope will also help us search for signs of life beyond Earth.
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