Webb's new perspective on universe - 20th July 2022

This is the James Webb telescope launching into space on 25th December 2021. After 7 months, it's fully operational. It's positioned 1.5 million kilometres out from Earth and taking the sharpest ever images of the universe.

The early universe is revealed as never before in the first image which NASA released. Among thousands of objects that it's captured, the light from some galaxies has travelled over 13 billion years. This is just 800 million years since time began.

At $10 billion, Webb's the most expensive instrument in the cosmos. 18 gold coated hexagons create its primary mirror, which is 6.5 metres in diameter. While this catches more light, Webb also sees light from further away. Light stretches as it travels and eventually becomes infrared. Therefore, Webb's been equipped with infrared cameras.

Webb's first image only covers a minuscule area of the universe. It's equal to the size of a grain of sand - if you hold out your arm and look at it on the end of your finger.

The images, which are impressing astronomers across the globe, include an image that shows a star dying in amazing detail.

NASA Live: "We are ready to see Webb's first image of a star dying. A planetary nebula called the Southern Ring - wow."

Beyond images of the cosmos, data from Webb has led to new insights. It's examined the atmosphere of a gas giant planet 1,150 light years away and identified water in its atmosphere. This ability allows us to find planets which may contain life.

Time on the telescope will be shared across the globe. Physicists and astronomers will combine their experiments with data from Spitzer and Hubble space telescopes. Together, they'll attempt to solve some mysteries of the universe.

NASA Live: "The last image is, wow! Look at that."