One Year with NASA's James Webb Space Telescope

The James Webb Space Telescope released its first images on July 12. As we celebrate its first year of collecting scientific imagery, let's look at our favorite captures.

JWST Clearest View of Neptune Zoomed Out (2023-09-21) by Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScINASA

Observing from near and far

Some of James Webb's observations were in our own solar system, exploring planets like Saturn, Neptune, and Uranus, with new novelty.

JWST Captures Rare View of Neptune’s Rings, Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, 2022-09-21, From the collection of: NASA
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JWST Captures Clear View of Neptune’s Rings, Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, 2022-09-21, From the collection of: NASA
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NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope shows off its capabilities closer to home with its first image of Neptune. Not only has Webb captured the clearest view of this distant planet’s rings in more than 30 years, but its cameras reveal the ice giant in a whole new light. 

JWST Uranus (2023-04-26) by James Webb Space TelescopeNASA

Uranus' polar caps and rings

This zoomed-in image of Uranus, captured by Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) Feb. 6, 2023, reveals stunning views of the planet’s rings. 

JWST Saturn NIRcam (2023-07-25) by NASA, ESA, CSA, Matthew Tiscareno (SETI Institute), Matthew Hedman (University of Idaho), Maryame El Moutamid (Cornell University), Mark Showalter (SETI Institute), Leigh Fletcher (University of Leicester), Heidi Hammel (AURA)NASA

Saturn's rings glow

On June 25, 2023, Webb turned to famed ringed world Saturn for its first near-infrared observations of the planet. Saturn itself appears extremely dark as methane gas absorbs almost all of the sunlight however the rings appear extremely bright.

JWST Jupiter Images Showcase Auroras, Hazes (2022-08-22) by Webb NIRCam composite image of Jupiter from three filters and alignment due to the planet’s rotation. Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, Jupiter ERS Team; image processing by Judy Schmidt.NASA

Webb’s Jupiter Images Showcase Auroras

The auroras shine in a filter that is mapped to redder colors, which also highlights light reflected from lower clouds and upper hazes. A different filter, mapped to yellows and greens, shows hazes swirling around the northern and southern poles. 

JWST Wolf-Rayet Star (2023-03-14) by Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Webb ERO Production TeamNASA

Wolf-Rayet Star

The rare sight of a Wolf-Rayet star – among the most luminous, most massive, and most briefly detectable stars known – was one of the first observations made by Webb in June 2022.

JWST Orion Bar (2023-06-26) by James Webb Space TelescopeNASA

Orion Bar

This image taken by Webb’s NIRCam shows a part of the Orion Nebula known as the Orion Bar. It is a region where energetic ultraviolet light from the Trapezium Cluster — located off the upper-left corner — interacts with dense molecular clouds.

JWST Tarantula Nebula (2022-11-30) by SCIENCE: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI IMAGE PROCESSING: Joseph DePasquale (STScI), Alyssa Pagan (STScI), Anton M. Koekemoer (STScI)NASA

Tarantula Nebula

In this mosaic image stretching 340 light-years across, Webb’s NIRCam displays the Tarantula Nebula star-forming region in a new light, including tens of thousands of never-before-seen young stars that were previously shrouded in cosmic dust.

JWST Pillars of Creation (2022-11-30) by SCIENCE: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI IMAGE PROCESSING: Joseph DePasquale (STScI), Alyssa Pagan (STScI), Anton M. Koekemoer (STScI)NASA

Pillars of Creation, revisited in mid-infrared

The eerie landscape is captured by the mid-infrared instrument (MIRI). Mid-infrared light specializes in detailing where dust and gas is. The densest areas of dust are the darkest shades of gray, while the red region toward the top is where the dust is diffuse and cool.

JWST Phantom Galaxy (2022-09-27) by ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, J. Lee and the PHANGS-JWST and PHANGS-HST TeamsNASA

Phantom Galaxy

If this image from Webb’s MIRI looks dark and moody, that's because things look different in mid-infrared light than in visible, ultraviolet, or near-infrared light — the wavelengths you may be more used to seeing from Hubble, Webb and other telescopes.

JWST NGC 7496 (MIRI Image) (2023-02-16) by James Webb Space TelescopeNASA

One year down

But, a universe of discovery to go. Find out more about the James Webb Space Telescope here: webbtelescope.org

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