This nearly perfectly aligned composite image shows the first deep-field JWST view of the core of the SMACS 0723 cluster and contrasts with the earlier Hubble view. Examining the details of the image that are absent from the Hubble data but present in the JWST data shows us how much potential for discovery awaits JWST scientists. (Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA and STScI, NASA/ESA/Hubble (STScI), composite by E. Siegel) The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has released its first science images, revealing the Universe in unprecedented light. This enhanced view of JWST’s first deep-field image of the Universe overexposes the brightest galaxies and the center of the cluster to better bring out the details in the fainter, redder, more distant galaxies. This first depth-of-field view took only half a day to acquire with JWST. With 20+ years of data to come, we can only imagine what will be revealed. (Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA and STScI; Editing by E. Siegel) The first image was a deep-field view of the galaxy cluster SMACS 0723, whose gravity magnifies background objects. A number of extremely diverse objects in the JWST image of SMACS 0723 were revealed, and the power of spectroscopy allowed us to determine precisely how far away they are and how much their light is being stretched by the expansion of the Universe. This is a powerful demonstration of JWST’s capabilities, as well as an illustration of the capabilities of gravitational lensing. (Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA and STScI) Containing objects from throughout cosmic history, it previews even deeper, wider-field views ahead. A section of the Hubble eXtreme Deep Field imaged for 23 total days, in contrast to the simulation expected by James Webb in the infrared. With large-area mosaics such as COSMOS-Web and PANORAMIC, the latter of which exploits pure parallel observation, we should not only break the cosmic record for the most distant galaxy, but we should learn about which are the first bright objects in The universe looked like. (Credit: NASA/ESA and the Hubble/HUDF team; JADES collaboration for the NIRCam simulation) But three other targets were also observed with imagers, also revealing unexpected galaxies that had never been seen before. This three-panel image shows the view of the Carina Nebula’s “cosmic cliffs” as seen by Hubble (top), JWST’s NIRCam instrument (middle), and JWST’s MIRI instrument (bottom). With its first scientific release, this new era in astronomy has truly arrived. (Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA and STScI, NASA, ESA and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)) The Carina Nebula, located within our Milky Way Galaxy, is a dusty region rich in gas and stars. Although difficult to spot with the eye, there are many galaxies that can be seen poking through the Cosmic Rock clouds in the Carina Nebula. Many of these have been manually circled here in the cropped JWST NIRCam instrument image. (Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA and STScI, edited by E. Siegel) But many galaxies appear through dark matter. On the less dusty side of the Cosmic Cliffs in the Carina Nebula, a number of faint, extended objects can be spotted among the twinkling stars that populate the majority of this region of space. Even at the galactic level, where star densities are higher and neutral matter is abundant, background galaxies are abundant and will likely appear in nearly every JWST image to come. (Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA and STScI, edited by E. Siegel) Even in this dense region of our galaxy, the Universe beyond can be glimpsed. Overlaid with (older) Hubble data, the JWST NIRCam image of the Southern Ring Nebula is clearly superior in several ways: resolution, details revealed, extent of outer gas, etc. It is truly a spectacular revelation of how stars like the Sun end their lives. (Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA and STScI) The Southern Ring Nebula, a dying Sun-like star within our own galaxy, also reveals background sources. Even where the debris of a dying star within our own galaxy is brighter and more feature-rich, numerous background galaxies can be detected, piercing the otherwise light-blocking dust at infrared wavelengths. (Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA and STScI, edited by E. Siegel) Some galaxies poke through the nebula’s noisy holes. Outside the nebular structure of the Southern Ring Nebula, the abyss of empty space is exposed by JWST’s NIRCam imager. A large number of galaxies and galaxy candidates can be identified, even by hand. Many of these objects had never been seen before, demonstrating the power of JWST to reveal the previously unknown Universe, even when that was not the scientific goal of the imaging campaign. (Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA and STScI, edited by E. Siegel) Others richly occupy the space along its outskirts. This unannotated portion of JWST’s NIRCam instrument view of the Southern Ring Nebula reveals the edges of the nebula, a series of multi-pointed stars, and a whole host of extended objects that can be identified as background galaxies. In every region of space imaged by NIRCam, galaxies await. (Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA and STScI) In all directions and locations, there is something impressive to exhibit. This contrast of Hubble’s view of Stephan’s Quintet with JWST’s NIRCam view reveals a number of features that are barely or not at all apparent at a smaller set of more restrictive wavelengths. The differences between the images highlight what features JWST might reveal that Hubble is missing. Despite the beauty and awe of this image, there are no known planetary systems, in our galaxy or any other, where humans could survive as we do on Earth. (Credit: NASA, ESA and the Hubble SM4 ERO team, NASA, ESA, CSA and STScI) But the image of JWST’s Stefanos Quintet was the most enlightening. In addition to the five core galaxies that make up the Stephen Quintet, the JWST NIRCam view exposes thousands of additional background galaxies, hundreds of which can be seen here and many of which have never been detected before by any other instrument or observatory . (Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA and STScI) Galaxies of all colors, The colors and shapes of galaxies revealed here by JWST’s NIRCam are determined not only by the intrinsic color and shape of the galaxies and stars within them, but also by the cosmological redshift and cumulative distortion captured by all the masses to the fore. The resolution of these background galaxies is unprecedented. (Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA and STScI) shapes, This exceptionally rich region of space was captured during the Stephan Quintet view with JWST’s NIRCam instrument. Many of these galaxies are clustered together in real space, while others are simply noisy alignments along the same line of sight. A clustering analysis of regions like this, many of which will be revealed in great detail by JWST, can provide a tremendous amount of additional science beyond what was planned. (Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA and STScI) and grouping patterns, And just as there are many regions of space that have been imaged that are extremely dense in terms of the number of galaxies and the total mass in that region, there are also regions that look like voids. JWST can reveal all, wherever it turns its infrared eyes. (Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA and STScI) can be seen everywhere. Located on the outskirts of the star-forming regions caused by the interaction of multiple galaxy members in the Stephan Quintet, this region reveals abundant details about the star formation in these galaxies, while also revealing background galaxies. The saying, “one astronomer’s noise is another astronomer’s data” is on full display here, as extragalactic and interstellar astronomers of all stripes can have a field day with what has been revealed in this one region of space. (Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA and STScI) We have long said, “one astronomer’s noise is another astronomer’s data”. The MIRI view of Stephan’s Quintet shows features that cannot be seen at any other wavelength. Its flagship galaxy – NGC 7319 – hosts a supermassive black hole 24 million times the mass of the Sun. It is actively accreting material and emitting light energy equivalent to 40 billion Suns. MIRI sees through the dust surrounding this black hole to reveal the impressively bright active galactic core. It is so bright, in MIRI’s eyes, that it even has the characteristic JWST “spike” pattern. (Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA and STScI) For galaxy scientists, each upcoming JWST image holds a potential treasure. The first thin-phase image ever released by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope shows a single image of a star, with six prominent diffraction peaks (and two less prominent ones), with background stars and galaxies revealed behind it. The background galaxies were a surprise to astronomers. JWST images the Universe with nearly twice the precision of performance for which the design was specified. Even images like this, not originally designed for scientific purposes, can prove useful to astronomers studying the Universe as a unique and unexpected source of data. (Credit: NASA/STScI) For the most part, Mute Monday tells an astronomical story in images, pictures and no more than 200 words. Talk less? Smile more.
