The first James Webb Space Telescope images are coming soon, and scientists can no longer wait to see them.
On Wednesday (June 29), NASA hosted a press conference at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore before releasing the first high-quality scientific images from the James Webb Space Telescope, which will take place during the live event on July 12. discussed Webb’s planned science during its first year in operation and mentioned the content of some of Webb’s first official images.
“In fact, we are the first users of the viewing space and we use it for what it is built for,” said Klaus Pontoppidan, a Webb project scientist at STScI, during a press conference. “We realize that we stand on the shoulders of all the scientists and engineers who have worked so hard over the last six months to make this happen.”
Although NASA has already released a few photos taken while aligning Webb, the images released on July 12 will appear in a fully functional, full-color viewer. They will show what each of the telescope instruments can contribute to science.
The first images will capture a deeper picture of the past, “scientists said during the forum. NASA will also release Webb’s first spectroscopic data – accurate data for the kind of light discovered by Webb that will allow scientists to learn more about the ingredients of distant cosmic objects. The data will include Webb’s first exoplanet spectrum, scientists said. Although the images will look amazing, the new information they display using Webb’s infrared visual acuity will distinguish them from photos taken by other telescopes.
“The real difference is the new scientific knowledge and the opening of long, infrared waves in a way we have never seen before,” said Jonathan Gardner, Webb’s senior vice-chancellor, during a news conference.
