Search

Showing results for “James Webb Space Telescope”

Jump to a topic

James Webb Space TelescopeThe James Webb Space Telescope is a $10B telescope launched by NASA in 2021 that captures infrared light from across the universe. As of 2025, it is the largest space telescope, able to detect light from the earliest observable moments of the universe about 13.5 billion years ago. Webb's observations are possible thanks to its distinctive 6.5-meter (21-foot) mirror, composed of 18 hexagonal, gold-plated beryllium mirrors arranged in a honeycomb. To keep the mirrors cool enough to retain sensitivity across the long-wavelength visible to mid-infrared range, a tennis court-sized sunshield keeps Webb's instruments permanently in shadow as the spacecraft orbits the sun. In this range, Webb can see through visible light-blocking cosmic dust. Since it began operations in the summer of 2022, Webb's accomplishments include observing the atmospheres of exoplanets in search of life, viewing the universe's first stars and galaxies to understand our origins, and collecting data used to refine calculations of the rate of expansion of the cosmos.Explore James Webb Space Telescope
NASA

What we've found

Blurriness in the James Webb Space Telescope's infrared imaging was fixed by AIAustralian researchers developed the Aperture Masking Interferometry Generative Observations AI algorithm to sharpen images affected by electronic distortions in the JWST's Aperture Masking Interferometer. Space.comNASA's James Webb Space Telescope captures enormous aurora displays on JupiterThe auroras flicker faster and brighter than those seen on Earth. This contrasts with earlier predictions that the lights would fade slowly over several minutes, providing insights into how Jupiter's magnetosphere operates. James Webb Space TelescopeThe James Webb Space Telescope is like a time machineWhen you look up at a constellation with your naked eye, you’re looking thousands of years into the past. The stars are so far away that it takes their light that long to reach us. Today’s most powerful telescopes, such as the James Webb Space Telescope, can see billions of years into the past. So, as this article suggests, looking through a telescope (or even up at the stars with your own eye) could be considered a form of time travel. The AtlanticThe James Webb Space Telescope is rewriting what we know about the early universeThanks to its advanced infrared sensors and massive mirror, the James Webb Space Telescope can see farther back in cosmic history than Hubble, revealing galaxies formed just 500 million years after the Big Bang. 1440See a timeline of James Webb Space Telescope discoveriesSince its launch on Christmas Day 2021, NASA's $10B James Webb Space Telescope has captivated the world with its rapid revelations of ancient galaxies, star-formation hotbeds, and more. This regularly updated timeline of Webb's discoveries keeps you up to date with the latest developments. James Webb DiscoveryJames Webb Space Telescope aims to unlock secrets of the early universeDecades in the making, JWST is designed to study the universe in infrared light, allowing it to see through cosmic dust and observe ancient galaxies, star formation, and potentially life-supporting exoplanets. The Webb will orbit the sun at a stable point 1.5 million kilometers from Earth. ReutersView a gallery of stunning images taken by the James Webb Space TelescopeWhile the James Webb telescope collects an astounding amount of scientific data, a major part of its allure is its ability to return stunning, high-resolution images. These images include nearby stars, distant galaxies, and some of the oldest structures in the universe. NASA Webb TelescopeSee where the James Webb Space Telescope is in space right nowWebb travels through space in a stable orbit, but unlike the Hubble, it doesn't orbit around Earth. The Webb orbits around the sun in a way that allows it to always be in line with the Earth, as you can see in this visualization of the telescope's real-time position. NASAThe 45 planets astronomers think are most likely to host alien lifeThe list includes familiar names like Proxima Centauri b (4 light-years away) and four planets in the TRAPPIST-1 system (about 40 light-years away), but even the nearest of those would take humanity roughly 114,000 years to reach at current spacecraft speeds. The list's real near-term value is as a targeting guide for the James Webb and upcoming Nancy Grace Roman space telescopes. Popular ScienceTurbulence is crucial to the formation of stars in molecular cloudsWithin simulations of these clouds, gravity, jets, supernovae, and galactic motion-induced stirring have been shown to develop turbulence that creates shocks. These turbulent shocks move quickly in low-density regions and slow in high-density areas, forming lumps of matter with sufficient gravitational force to collapse and initiate fusion, birthing a star. NASAWatch a tour of a 3D visualization of the Pillars of CreationCombining observational data from the Hubble and James Webb Space Telescopes has allowed NASA scientists to create a multiwavelength model of the star-forming region at the heart of the Eagle Nebula. NASA GoddardScientists break down the plausibility of the alien world depicted in 'Avatar'The film series created by James Cameron raises several interesting questions about whether certain technological advancements are feasible, and if extraterrestrial life could thrive on a moon orbiting a distant gas giant. While Pandora—the moon that the Na'vi people live on—could, in theory, exist, it's unlikely that its residents would be so humanlike. Yale ScientificThe scattering of light in the early universe prevents seeing the beginning of timeA "cosmic fog" of elementary particles in the early universe prevented light from traveling far before being absorbed. Only 380,000 years after the big bang, when the first atoms formed, was light free to travel and reach telescopes for study. UMBCExplore an interactive visualization of the solar systemThis tool allows you to view the orbits of planets, dwarf planets, moons, asteroids, and other significant objects in the solar system. Clicking on an object reveals key facts and historical data. Gordon HartBiosignatures are the chemical fingerprints astrobiologists search for to find lifeThe 21st century has introduced advances making telescopes, cameras, and computers powerful enough to detect the presence of molecules associated with biological processes in distant atmospheres, expanding the search for life to include unreachable worlds. The Planetary SocietyAstrobiology is the study of life's origins and the search for life beyond EarthThe field incorporates observational missions to find and classify exoplanets—planets orbiting stars besides the sun—the probing of Earth's most extreme environments to learn what conditions allow life to exist, and theoretical and lab work to identify and analyze potential biochemical signatures. NASAHot Jupiters are giant planets that orbit very close to their host starDiscovered in 1995, hot Jupiters are a class of exoplanets—planets orbiting stars other than the sun—with size and mass similar to Jupiter. They are most commonly found orbiting metal-rich stars and have become essential for testing theories of planetary system formation. Smithsonian MagazinePublished photography from JWST are false-color imagesThe James Webb Telescope captures invisible light, not photos. Scientists then color-map wavelengths of infrared light to show us the invisible universe. 1440JWST might spot life faster on ocean worlds than Earth-like onesUnlike Earth-like planets, hycean worlds with thick hydrogen atmospheres and deep oceans could allow biosignature gases like methyl halides to accumulate in detectable levels. These gases, linked to microbial life on Earth, are easier for the James Webb Space Telescope to identify than traditional markers like oxygen or methane. Live ScienceThe Deep Space Network keeps NASA linked to spacecraft billions of miles awayNASA's DSN is a global system of giant radio antennas that receive data from faraway spacecraft like Voyager 1 and the James Webb Space Telescope. It is sensitive enough to detect a signal as weak as a single light bulb from billions of miles away. 1440The aesthetics of the James Webb imagesThe highly popular images produced by the James Webb Space Telescope are an artful collaboration between data science and visual designers. The raw data reflects real physical aspects of space, but it arrives without visual representation. Visual experts assign colors to specific wavelengths, crop and orient images in an accessible way, and consider the emotional impact of images as they incorporate design principles into the final product. Learn the fascinating details here. The VergeJames Webb championed both space science and human spaceflight at NASAAs NASA Administrator during the 1960s, Webb prioritized a balanced approach between manned missions and scientific research, fostering advancements in astronomy, robotic exploration, and university involvement. Despite having no background in science or engineering, Webb oversaw more than 75 space science mission. NASANew ways of seeing the cosmos have redrawn the map of human identityFrom Galileo’s crude spyglass to the James Webb Space Telescope, each technological leap has expanded our observational reach and redefined philosophical and moral conceptions of our place in the universe. Identifying signs of life through the study of exoplanet atmospheres would represent the next great revolution. AeonWebb's sunshield enables extreme cooling for precision space observationTo avoid interference from its own heat, the telescope uses a five-layer shield to stay ultra-cold and stable, allowing its instruments to function at cryogenic temperatures. One instrument, MIRI, gets so cold it needs a helium-powered cooler to reach just 7 Kelvin, or -447°F. NASA