NASA has announced the release date of the first full-color images of the new James Webb space telescope. Together with ESA (European Space Agency), the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), NASA will release the spectroscopic images and data on July 12, 2022.
James Webb has undergone alignment and calibration since its launch in December 2021: a complex series of processes that involves making tiny adjustments to the 18 segments of the telescope’s primary mirror and checking the sensitivity of each of the four instruments. To date, a number of calibration images have been published that were used in the process of preparing the instruments for scientific operations. But the July date is when the first full-color images will be released, which are expected to be much more impressive and attractive.
“As we approach the end of the observatory’s preparation for science, we are on the precipice of an incredibly exciting period of discovery about our universe. The launch of Webb’s first full-color images will provide a moment only because we all stop and marvel at a sight that humanity has never seen before, “Webb program scientist Eric Smith said in a NASA statement. “These images will be the culmination of decades of dedication, talent and dreams, but they will also be just the beginning.”
The objects that Webb will investigate have already been selected by an international committee in a lengthy selection process. Projects to be explored in the first year of Webb include the study of Jupiter and its rings and moons, research into the formation of stars, and the exploration of early galaxies to find clues about the universe when it was very young.
NASA has not announced exactly what objects will be shown in the first images, but the agency has said it will release a “package of materials” related to key topics Webb will explore, including “the early universe, evolution.” of the galaxies “. through time, the life cycle of stars and other worlds. ”In addition to images, there will also be spectroscopic data that use light to identify the chemical composition of objects.
Even with all the preparation involved in launching a telescope, it is difficult for researchers to know exactly the accuracy of their instruments until they start using them, explained Joseph DePasquale of STScI: “Of course, there are things We’ll see, and with this new telescope and these new high-resolution infrared data, we just won’t know until we see it. “
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