NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. Credit: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and Northrup Grumman
These first images from the James Webb Space Telescope will mark the beginning of Webb’s scientific operations, in which excited astronomers will have the opportunity to use the Web to explore the early universe, the atmosphere of exoplanets, the birth and death of stars and galaxy evolution like never before. so far before.
The concept of space telescope artist James Webb. Credit: NASA-GSFC, Adriana M. Gutierrez (CI Lab)
The first images from NASA’s Webb Space Telescope are coming soon
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, in partnership with ESA (European Space Agency) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), will release its first full-color images and spectroscopic data on July 12, 2022. As the largest and most complex observatory launched Once in space, Webb went through a six-month training period before he could begin scientific work, calibrating his tools for his space environment and aligning his mirrors. This careful process, not to mention the years of new technology development and mission planning, led to the first images and data: a demonstration of the Web in full force, ready to begin its scientific mission and expand the infrared universe.
“As we near the end of the Observatory’s preparations for science, we are facing the abyss of an incredibly exciting period of discovery for our universe. The release of the first full-color images on the Web will offer a unique moment for all of us to stop and marvel at a sight never before seen by humanity, “said Eric Smith, a Webb scientist at NASA’s Washington headquarters. “These images will be the culmination of decades of dedication, talent and dreams – but they will be just the beginning.”
Behind the scenes: Creating the first images of the Web
Deciding What to Watch on the Web is a project that has been under preparation for more than five years, undertaken by an international partnership between NASA, ESA, CSA and the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, where Web research and missions are located. . .
“Our goals for the first Webb images and data are both to show the telescope’s powerful tools and to see the upcoming scientific mission,” said astronomer Klaus Pontopidan, a Webb scientist at STScI. “They will certainly deliver the long-awaited wow to astronomers and the public.”
Once each of Webb’s instruments has been calibrated, tested, and given the green light by its scientific and engineering teams, the first images and spectroscopic observations will be made. The team will go through a list of goals that have been pre-selected and prioritized by an international commission to exercise Webb’s powerful capabilities. The production team will then receive data from scientists on Web tools and process it into images for astronomers and the public.
“I feel very privileged to be a part of this,” said Alice Pagan, developer of scientific visualization at STScI. “Usually, the process from raw telescopic data to a final clear image that transmits scientific information about the universe can take weeks to months,” Pagan said.
What will we see?
Although careful planning of Webb’s first full-color images has been going on for a long time, the new telescope is so powerful that it’s hard to predict exactly what the first images will look like. “Of course, there are things we expect and hope to see, but with a new telescope and this new high-resolution infrared data, we just won’t understand until we see it,” said Joseph DePasquale, lead STScI developer.
Early alignment images have already demonstrated the unprecedented sharpness of Webb’s infrared view. However, these new images will be the first in full color and the first to demonstrate the full scientific potential of Webb. In addition to images, the Web will capture spectroscopic data – detailed information that astronomers can read in the light. The first image package will highlight the scientific topics that inspired the mission and will be at the heart of its work: the early universe, the evolution of galaxies over time, the life cycle of stars and other worlds. All Webb commissioning data – data taken during telescope alignment and instrument preparation – will also be publicly available.
What next?
Science! After capturing its first images, Web’s scientific observations will begin, continuing to explore the mission’s key scientific topics. The teams have already applied through a competition for time to use the telescope, in what astronomers call its first “cycle” or first year of observations. The observations are carefully planned to make the most efficient use of the telescope’s time.
These observations mark the official beginning of the Web’s general scientific operations, the work for which it is intended. Astronomers will use the Webb to observe the infrared universe, analyze data collected and publish scientific papers on their findings.
Beyond what is already planned for Webb, there are unexpected discoveries that astronomers cannot predict. One example: In 1990, when the Hubble Space Telescope launched, dark energy was completely unknown. Now this is one of the most exciting areas of astrophysics. What will the Web find?
The James Webb Space Telescope is the world’s leading space science observatory. The Web will solve the mysteries of our solar system, look beyond distant worlds around other stars, and explore the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and the Canadian Space Agency.
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