Webb’s First Deep Field, released in July 2022. Image: NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI
Two years since Webb released its first colour image, the space telescope has turned its gaze to various cosmic phenomena, giving us stunning imagery as a result.
It has been two years since the James Webb Space Telescope first wowed space enthusiasts and astronomers worldwide with its first detailed image of the cosmos, but that was just the start of its extraordinary journey.
As the successor to the Hubble Telescope, Webb is equipped with powerful instruments that can peer into the depths of the universe in a way that no telescope has ever been able to before.
The data from these images is extremely important for astronomers, as it allows them to discover new insights into cosmic phenomena and learn more about how the universe works. There have already been a vast amount of research papers that stem from data collected by Webb.
But on top of their scientific importance, the images captured by Webb are also stunning to look at, with immense levels of detail. The powerful space telescope is also able to peer through vast amounts of cosmic dust thanks to its infrared instruments, giving us a look behind the curtain of various celestial objects such as nebulas or distant black holes.
Since its first image, Webb has released a treasure trove of important and awe-inspiring images of the cosmos. To celebrate its ongoing journey, here are 10 of the most iconic images associated with the James Webb Space Telescope so far.
The pillars of creation
The pillars of creation, taken by the James Webb Space Telescope. Image: Greg Bacon, Ralf Crawford, Joseph DePasquale, Leah Hustak, Christian Nieves, Joseph Olmsted, Alyssa Pagan and Dr Frank Summers (STScI), NASA’s Universe of Learning
The James Webb Space Telescope was able to capture this detailed image of the pillars of creation – celestial structures made of gas in the Eagle Nebula that look like fingers rising upwards.
This cosmic phenomenon was made famous by an image taken by Hubble in 1995. But NASA wanted more detail, so Webb was used to capture some finer detail of the structures.
But both images have their charms and capture different aspects of these pillars, so NASA decided to merge the two images together in a unique video, to provide the most detailed view we have yet of this awe-inspiring part of space.
Cosmic fireworks
L1527, a molecular cloud holding a protostar, taken from the James Webb Space Telescope. Image: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI
This image shows a distant protostar – a young object that is on track to eventually become a star – as it consumes massive amounts of gas and dust from the molecular cloud that it’s contained inside.
Normally, these details would be obscured by this gas and dust. But Webb’s infrared instruments are able to peer into this region of space to give us a greater insight into how the protostar consumes gases and the strange hourglass shape that spans out from the object as a result.
The cusp of a supernova
Image of the massive star WR 124, shown during the Wolf-Rayet phase of its life. Image: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Webb ERO Production Team
This image is one of the most unique scenes captured by Webb, as it is only observable for a relatively short period of time. This image is the massive star WR 124, which is on the verge of going supernova. This is when a star explodes at the end of its life cycle and releases a massive cloud of hot gas and space dust into the cosmos.
While being visually stunning, it is also important for astronomers to observe the cosmic dust created by these types of supernova, as it can help shed light on the early points of the universe.
The mysterious Crab Nebula
An image of the Crab Nebula, captured by the James Webb Space Telescope. Image: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Dr Tea Temim (Princeton University)
We now look at the aftermath of a star going supernova, with the mysterious Crab Nebula that has fascinated humans since the 11th century, when people were able to see the supernova explosion even during the daytime.
The nebula has drawn attention from astronomers for centuries as a way to learn more about supernovae, as it is (relatively) nearby, being 6,500 light years away in the Taurus constellation.
The James Webb Space Telescope has gotten astronomers closer than ever to understanding exactly how this unique nebula was formed.
A star is born
The young star Herbig-Haro 211-mm, with supersonic jets of hot molecular material. Image: DIAS/JWST
As well as seeing the death of stars, Webb also helps us to see the birth of them too. A group of astronomers – led by the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS) – revealed a detailed image of one of the youngest stars known to scientists with the help of the James Webb Space Telescope.
To put its young age into perspective, some stars can have a lifespan of billions of years, but this particular star – Herbig-Haro 211-mm – is believed to be only a few thousand years old.
Astronomers at DIAS played a key role in the initial development of the Webb telescope, in particular the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) on board. MIRI is a camera and a spectrograph that observes mid to long infrared radiation and is a key instrument as Webb observes the mysteries of the universe.
The intricate Ring Nebula
The Ring Nebula captured by the James Webb Space Telescope’s MIRI. Image: ESA/Webb, NASA, CSA, M Barlow, N Cox, R Wesson
The Ring Nebula is a planetary nebula in the northern constellation of Lyra. It is relatively close to Earth at roughly 2,500 light years away, making it an important object for scientists.
But this detailed image by Webb went a step beyond previous observations, as it shows the intricate details of the filament structure of the inner ring and the concentric features of the outer regions of the nebulae’s ring.
Maynooth University’s Dr Patrick Kavanagh said there had never been mid-infrared images of the Ring Nebula like this before.
“The exquisite detail reveals previously unknown features in the molecular halo that tell us this dying star’s nebula was likely shaped by an unseen companion star,” he said. “There simply has not been a telescope capable of seeing these features until JWST.”
An eerie Phantom Galaxy
The heart of the Phantom Galaxy, M74, taken by the James Webb Space Telescope. Image: ESA/Webb/NASA/CSA/J Lee/PHANGS-JWST Team
This rather creepy image is of the Phantom Galaxy, which is around 32m light years away and lies almost face-on to Earth. With its well-defined spiral arms and unique angle towards Earth, it is a prime target for astronomers studying the origin and structure of galactic spirals.
The image from Webb captures the structure of this galaxy in terrifying detail and a previous image from the Hubble was combined with this data to further improve our understanding of the star-forming galaxy.
A stellar nursery
Carina Nebula. Image: NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI
This iconic image of mountain-like structures speckled with glittering stars shows the edge of a young, star-forming region called NGC 3324, which is located in the Carina Nebula.
Thanks to the power of Webb’s instruments, astronomers were able to peer deep into the vast amounts of cosmic dust and see this star-forming region in extreme detail.
Where it all began
Webb’s First Deep Field, released in July 2022. Image: NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI
It is important to remember how we got here – the first colour image released by Webb in July 2022 that showed a vast amount of detail.
The image shows the galaxy cluster SMACS 0723 as it appeared 4.6bn years ago. The combined mass of this galaxy cluster acts as a gravitational lens, magnifying more distant galaxies behind it.
It remains an incredible image, features distant galaxies with faint structures that had never been seen before, such as star clusters and diffuse features.
Cosmic chorizo?
An image of a slice of chorizo, not taken by the James Webb Space Telescope. Image: Étienne Klein
The last image may serve as a reminder to be careful what you read online, as one scientist’s joke quickly spiralled out of control.
With so many images being released from Webb in 2022, French scientist Étienne Klein tweeted an image of a chorizo slice and claimed it was a James Webb image of Proxima Centauri, the nearest-known star to our sun.
This was – of course – a joke, but Klein’s words may have carried a bit too much weight. Many people began to share the image, amazed by the immense detail captured in the cosmic chorizo slice.
In less than an hour, Klein clarified that the image was actually a slice of meat and not a nearby star. Some days later, Klein apologised and told French news outlet Le Point that his intention had been to educate people about fake news online. Maybe it was.
As a way to move away from the backlash, Klein later shared another image taken by the James Webb – this time, a genuine one of the Cartwheel Galaxy.
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