The first infrared image from the James Webb telescope was shown in the USA. These are the most distant depths of space that humanity has ever seen.
NASA writes about it.
The first photo was officially presented by US President Joe Biden and NASA head Bill Nelson.
"This first image taken by the James Webb Space Telescope is the deepest and clearest infrared image of the distant universe to date," it explained.
The photo shows the galaxy cluster SMACS 0723 as it was 4.6 billion years ago. At the same time, the gravity of SMACS 0723 works like a giant lens: it amplifies (but distorts) the light from the objects behind it. This allows you to see very distant and previously invisible objects for astronomers. NASA says the image shows only a portion of the universe, covering an area of the sky about the size of a grain of sand held at armʼs length by someone on Earth.
Scientists are already preparing to receive and process previously unknown data on the masses, history, structure and age of such galaxies.
- On December 25, 2021, NASA launched the $10 billion James Webb Space Telescope, which will replace the Hubble telescope. It was sent to a distance of 1.5 million kilometers from the Earth — to the L2 point. Scientists have high hopes for "Webb" — it will help to look much deeper into the universe and study galaxies and planets in more detail.
- On December 29, NASA reported that the telescope will work longer than expected. An analysis of the trajectory showed that its fuel reserve would be enough for more than 10 years of operation.