NASA has shared new details about the James Webb Space Telescope. The agency shared a teaser image as it prepares to release the first scientific-level images captured by the telescope in the coming days. The first cosmic target list has also been revealed.
First goals set
NASA is preparing to share images taken by James Webb. In this context, the agency shared the first targets that the telescope will focus on. These include the Carina Nebula, which is said to be one of the largest and brightest nebulae in the sky, about 7,600 light-years away in the southern constellation of Carinae, and WASP-96 b, a giant largely gaseous planet about 1,150 light-years from Earth, about ca. The Southern Ring Nebula (NGC 3132), which is half a light-year and about 2,000 light-years from Earth, and the Stephan Quintet in the constellation Pegasus.
The telescope will also focus on a region called SMACS 0723, which will help scientists see deep into space and observe fainter galaxies.
NASA also shared a teaser image obtained using 72 exposures over 32 hours, which it says is not optimized for scientific observation. The space agency will release the first color scientific-quality images captured with the James Webb Space Telescope on July 12.