JAMES WEBB
The premier observatory of the next decade, solving mysteries in our solar system and looking beyond to distant worlds around other stars.
Latest Discoveries
NASA Official
Webb and Hubble observe stellar nurseries, galaxies, and gravitational lensing in new images
Teams using the James Webb Space Telescope and the Hubble Space Telescope — both jointly… The post Webb and Hubble observe stellar nurseries, galaxies, and gravitational lensing in new images appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com.
Cosmic House of Mirrors
Galaxies warp and multiply as if in a house of mirrors in this image from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope released on Sept. 29, 2026. The brilliant golden galaxies seen here are part of a galaxy cluster called MACS J0454.1-0300. The orange galaxies bunched together on one side of the image, however, are not actually […]
Webb Measures Distance to Farthest Fast Radio Burst, Suggesting Origin
First discovered in 2007, fast radio bursts are enigmatic, millisecond-long flashes of radio emission from the distant universe. Their origin remains uncertain, particularly since most are seen once and never again. Astronomers using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope have pinpointed the host galaxy of the most distant fast radio burst (FRB) seen to date. Their […]
NASA’s Webb Captures Commotion From Nebula’s Stellar Jets
A cauldron of cosmic creation is being revealed in a new image from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. Webb has unveiled numerous stars formerly hidden by clouds of dust in a stellar nursery known as NGC 7129, which resides about 3,300 light-years from Earth. Stars, the engines of elemental creation, have life cycles that begin […]
What happened this month at the European Space Agency? (September 2026)
September was a month of milestones and discoveries. FLEX launched aboard Vega-C alongside Sentinel-3C. Sophie Adenot completed her third and final spacewalk, leading the mission as EV-1. BepiColombo separated from its Mercury Transfer Module, taking another step towards Mercury. Spectrum became the first rocket to reach orbit from continental Europe. And the James Webb Space Telescope found tiny brown dwarfs that could harbor the building blocks of planets.
Galaxies in a cosmic house of mirrors
This NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope Picture of the Month features galaxies in great detail that have been warped and multiplied like they’ve stepped into a house of mirrors. The brilliant golden galaxies splashed across this image belong to a galaxy cluster called MACS J0454.1-0300. The orange galaxies concentrated on one side of the cluster are not actually part of the cluster and are much farther away from us.
History & Milestones
Project Inception
1996
Initially called the Next Generation Space Telescope (NGST), the project was formally started to succeed the Hubble Space Telescope.
Renaming to JWST
2002
The telescope was renamed after James E. Webb, NASA's second administrator who played a key role in the Apollo program.
Historic Launch
December 25, 2021
Launched on an Ariane 5 rocket from French Guiana, beginning its million-mile journey to the second Lagrange point (L2).
First Images Revealed
July 12, 2022
NASA released the first full-color images and spectroscopic data, officially marking the beginning of Webb's scientific operations.
The L2 Orbit
Unlike the Hubble Space Telescope, which orbits Earth, Webb orbits the Sun 1.5 million kilometers (1 million miles) away from Earth at what is called the second Lagrange point or L2.
What is special about this orbit? It lets the telescope stay in line with the Earth as it moves around the Sun. This allows the satellite's large sunshield to protect the telescope from the light and heat of the Sun and Earth (and Moon).
Diagram of the L2 point relative to Earth and the Sun.
Webb's Science Instruments
NIRCam
Webb's primary imager covering the infrared wavelength range 0.6 to 5 microns. It detects light from the earliest stars and galaxies.
NIRSpec
Disperses light into a spectrum to analyze the physical properties and chemical composition of distant objects.
MIRI
Has both a camera and a spectrograph that sees light in the mid-infrared region. It sees cold dust, old galaxies, and planets.
FGS/NIRISS
Allows Webb to point precisely so that it can obtain high-quality images. It is crucial for stabilizing the line of sight.
Unveiling the Universe
A curated gallery of the most breathtaking images captured by Webb's Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) and Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI).
Carina Nebula
Cosmic Cliffs revealing emerging stellar nurseries and individual stars previously hidden in dust.
Pillars of Creation
A highly detailed landscape of star birth, captured in near-infrared light.
Stephan's Quintet
A visual grouping of five galaxies, revealing galactic interactions in unprecedented detail.
Webb's First Deep Field
SMACS 0723: The deepest and sharpest infrared image of the distant universe to date.
Jupiter in Infrared
Showcasing auroras, hazes, and two of its smaller moons against the cosmic background.
Tarantula Nebula
Thousands of never-before-seen young stars spotted in this stellar nursery.