NASA Shows Off First James Webb Space Telescope Image 735j3w SMACS 0723 Galaxy Cluster Seen in Stunning Detail

The first JWST image released by NASA shows the galaxy cluster SMACS 0723. 161436

By Gadgets 360 Staff With Agency Inputs | Updated: 12 July 2022 03:58 IST

NASA Shows Off First James Webb Space Telescope Image, SMACS 0723 Galaxy Cluster Seen in Stunning Detail

Photo Credit: NASA 6t6r3f

Highlights

NASA will reveal more images from James Webb Telescope on July 12
The first image was taken by the telescope's Near-Infrared Camera
The NASA image shows the SMACS 0723 cluster from 4.6 billion years ago

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NASA has released the first full-colour image of deep space captured by the James Webb Space Telescope and it's just as stunning as we've been expecting. US President Joe Biden and NASA Bill Nelson unveiled the first image at a special live streamed event at the White House in Washington DC, showing a scene from 13 billion light-years away.

"This first image from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope is the deepest and sharpest infrared image of the distant universe to date. Known as Webb's First Deep Field, this image of galaxy cluster SMACS 0723 is overflowing with detail," NASA said in its release. Here's a link to a high-resolution version of the image.

It's here–the deepest, sharpest infrared view of the universe to date: Webb's First Deep Field.

Previewed by @POTUS on July 11, it shows galaxies once invisible to us. The full set of @NASAWebb's first full-color images & data will be revealed July 12: https://t.co/63zxpNDi4I pic.twitter.com/zAr7YoFZ8C
— NASA (@NASA) July 11, 2022

NASA details that the deep field image was taken by Webb's Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam), and shows the SMACS 0723 galaxy cluster as it appeared 4.6 billion years ago. "The combined mass of this galaxy cluster acts as a gravitational lens, magnifying much more distant galaxies behind it. Webb's NIRCam has brought those distant galaxies into sharp focus – they have tiny, faint structures that have never been seen before, including star clusters and diffuse features," it added.

Further images will be released by NASA via a live broadcast and press conference at 8pm IST (10:30am ET) on July 12. The Hubble Space Telescope or any observatory on Earth.

A list of initial targets for the James Webb Telescope to be aimed at was released by the space agency last week, and had included the SMACS 0723 cluster, apart from Carina Nebula, WASP-96 b (spectrum), Southern Ring Nebula, and Stephan's Quintet.

After decades of anticipation and a must be maintained at temperatures below 50 Kelvin (-223 degrees Celsius).

During its lifetime, the James Webb Space Telescope is expected to observe the oldest stars and could aid in discoveries of new exoplanets.

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