NASA’s First Full-Color James Webb Space Telescope Image Revealed

Launched in December 2021 in a partnership between NASA, the European Space Agency, and the Canadian Space Agency, Webb observes the universe in the infrared from its orbit around the sun. As the telescope traveled through space, it had to unfurl its hardware, which had been folded up to fit inside its launch vehicle. Its approximately 21-foot mirror composed of 18 hexagonal segments had to be minutely aligned by adjusting each segment with nanometer precision. Then, with mirrors aligned, each of Webb’s four instruments had to be cooled down to its operating temperature, and then it had to be calibrated and tested. As of July 11, 2022, the telescope is fully ready for science operations. 

The great news for scientists is that Webb’s performance is as good or even better than was hoped, even though the telescope received a slight ding from a micrometeoroid in June. “Scientists are thrilled that Webb is alive and as powerful as we hoped, far beyond Hubble, and that it survived all hazards to be our golden eye in the sky,” said Webb scientist John Mather in an emailed statement. “What happened after the big bang? How did the expanding universe cool down and make black holes and galaxies and stars and planets and people? Astronomers see everything twice: first with pictures, and then with imagination and calculation. But there’s something out there that we’ve never imagined, and I will be as amazed as you are when we find it.” More images from James Webb will be released tomorrow, July 12.