First Images from the James Webb Space Telescope Released!

The day is finally here! The new James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is now in orbit and is ready to overwhelm us with stunning images of the cosmos. The first image I have decided to post here is of the Carina Nebula. Although it is 7500 light-years away, the new images of it are incredibly detailed. The detail will help astronomers and astrophysicists better understand the lives of stars. Some of the "mountains" in the image are over 7 light-years tall and harbor thousands of newborn stars beginning their lives. Previous telescopes such as the Hubble Space Telescope have also mapped images of the nebula. However, those telescopes could only see visible light and a poor amount of infrared light. The new JWST can see a much higher percentage of infrared light, causing the images to be significantly more detailed and beautiful than the previous telescopes. Using the new JWST, we can not only look at the images of this nebula in great detail, but astronomers can also understand the composition of most of the stars in the image, allowing them to further study the details of the lives of stars. Studying the lives of stars is crucial as it can help us to better understand our own Sun and how its life began and may end.

All Image Credit Goes to NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI