NASA To Release First Full-Color Images Taken By ‘James Webb’ On July 12
NASA has announced that the first full-color images and spectroscopic data created by “James Webb” will be published on July 12 this year. Eric Smith, a telescope program scientist at NASA Headquarters in Washington, said that the images will not only be the culmination of decades of dedicated work by specialists, but also the beginning of a new era in astronomy. According to him, the first full-color images will represent something unique that humanity has not yet seen.
The decision to choose the first target for full-color images of “Webb” was made within five years. The images should clearly demonstrate the full power of the instruments and allow you to evaluate the telescope’s capabilities for upcoming scientific missions. The Webb team is confident that the first images will undoubtedly produce the long-awaited “wow effect” on astronomers and the public.
It is difficult for researchers to accurately predict what the first images will look like. There are some expectations, but with a new telescope and modern precision instruments, they just can’t guess until they see it. Early images from calibrating optics and instruments have already demonstrated the telescope’s unprecedented capabilities, exceeding the expectations of astronomers at the current stages of work.
Currently, Webb is in the final stages of commissioning. Out of almost 1000 planned activities, less than 200 remained to be completed, which are part of the final part of the instrument setup. Upon their completion, the telescope will be able to operate at full capacity.
Astronomer András Gaspar, who is working on Webb’s MIRI mid-IR instrument, compared the telescope’s images published on April 28 with images of similar areas taken by the WISE (Wide Infrared Survey Explorer) and Spitzer infrared telescopes. NASA published similar images on May 9 on its blog. Already, the images not only meet the expectations of astronomers and engineers working on Webb, but exceed them.
