It\u2019s likely by now you\u2019ve seen the stunning photos of the universe coming from NASA\u2019s James Webb Space Telescope. The images are bringing new details and clarity to what we know about space. TCNJ grad Knicole Colon \u201907, an astrophysicist at NASA\u2019s Goddard Space Flight Center, explains some of the Webb\u2019s key findings.<\/p>\n
The first photo sent from the JWST was the deepest view of space ever captured. It shows a galaxy cluster that is about 4.6 billion lightyears from Earth. \u201cWe\u2019re seeing the most distant objects ever.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
The Webb looks at the cosmos in the infrared light spectrum \u2014 light the human eye can\u2019t see \u2014 giving scientists a peek at things that were once invisible.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
The colorful galaxies seen are among the earliest ever formed in the universe. \u201cWe can use the colors to understand the molecules they\u2019re made of and how they form and evolve over time.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Sing it Beyonc\u00e9: Neptune and Jupiter have rings. JWST revealed faint dust bands around each planet.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
\u201cKnowing how much rock or icy material exists in the rings gives us clues to how much material there is in our solar system in the first place.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Neptune, the notorious blue planet, looks white through the infrared. \u201cThis means Neptune is covered in thick clouds found deep in its atmosphere.\u201d Clouds teach us about a planet\u2019s weather.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Composite photos from JWST depict Jupiter\u2019s auroras, moons, storms, and distant galaxies all in one image. \u201cUnderstanding how the Jupiter system works helps us explore the full diversity of planetary systems.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
JWST mimicked a 1995 Hubble telescope image of the Pillars of Creation, a part of space\u00a0where stars form from dense gaseous clouds. \u201cWith the new image, we see through gas and dust and view stars that were just born.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/li>\n
The Webb will grab molecular data from exoplanets (planets outside our solar system) to see which ones could support life. \u201cIf we see carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, it remains a viable candidate for habitability.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/li>\n