JPL
Careers
Education
Science & Technology
JPL Logo
JPL Logo
Stars and Galaxies
.

NASA Shares List of Cosmic Targets for Webb Telescope’s First Images

July 8, 2022

File photo of the primary mirror of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope from March 2020, following a deployment test. Credit: NASA/Chris Gunn

Credit: NASA/Chris Gunn

The images will include some taken by Webb’s Mid-Infrared Instrument, which is managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for NASA.

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, a partnership with ESA (European Space Agency) and CSA (Canadian Space Agency), will soon reveal unprecedented and detailed views of the universe with the upcoming release of its first full-color images and spectroscopic data.

Below is the list of cosmic objects that Webb targeted for these first observations, which will be released in NASA’s live broadcast beginning at 10:30 a.m. EDT (7:30 a.m. PDT) Tuesday, July 12. Each image will simultaneously be made available on social media as well as on the agency’s website.

These listed targets below represent the first wave of full-color scientific images and spectra the observatory has gathered, and the official beginning of Webb’s general science operations. They were selected by an international committee of representatives from NASA, ESA, CSA, and the Space Telescope Science Institute.

  • Carina Nebula: The Carina Nebula is one of the largest and brightest nebulae in the sky, located approximately 7,600 light-years away in the southern constellation Carina. Nebulae are stellar nurseries where stars form. The Carina Nebula is home to many massive stars several times larger than the Sun.
  • WASP-96b (spectrum): WASP-96b is a giant planet outside our solar system, composed mainly of gas. The planet, located nearly 1,150 light-years from Earth, orbits its star every 3.4 days. It has about half the mass of Jupiter, and its discovery was announced in 2014.
  • Southern Ring Nebula: The Southern Ring, or “Eight-Burst” nebula, is a planetary nebula – an expanding cloud of gas surrounding a dying star. It is nearly half a light-year in diameter and is located approximately 2,000 light-years away from Earth.
  • Stephan’s Quintet: About 290 million light-years away, Stephan’s Quintet is located in the constellation Pegasus. It is notable for being the first compact galaxy group ever discovered in 1787. Four of the five galaxies within the quintet are locked in a cosmic dance of repeated close encounters.
  • SMACS 0723: Massive foreground galaxy clusters magnify and distort the light of objects behind them, permitting a deep field view into both the extremely distant and intrinsically faint galaxy populations.

Get the Latest JPL News

SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER

The release of these first images marks the official beginning of Webb’s science operations, which will continue to explore the mission’s key science themes. Teams have already applied through a competitive process for time to use the telescope, in what astronomers call its first “cycle,” or first year of observations.

More information on how to join NASA for the release of Webb’s first images is available online. For more about Webb’s status, visit the “Where Is Webb?” tracker.

The James Webb Space Telescope is the world’s premier space science observatory. Webb will solve mysteries in our solar system, look beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probe the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it.

News Media Contact

Alise Fisher / Natasha Pinol

Headquarters, Washington

202-358-2546 / 202-358-0930

alise.m.fisher@nasa.gov / natasha.r.pinol@nasa.gov

Laura Betz

Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.

laura.e.betz@nasa.gov

Written by Thaddeus Cesari, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

2022-100

Related News

Stars and Galaxies .

NASA’s Webb Telescope Captures Rarely Seen Prelude to Supernova

Stars and Galaxies .

NASA’s Webb Reveals Intricate Networks of Gas, Dust in Nearby Galaxies

Stars and Galaxies .

NASA Gets Unusually Close Glimpse of Black Hole Snacking on Star

Stars and Galaxies .

VP Harris, French President Get First Look at Galactic Get-Together

Stars and Galaxies .

Baby Star ‘Burps’ Tell Tales of Frantic Feeding, NASA Data Shows

Stars and Galaxies .

NASA, ESA Reveal Tale of Death, Dust in Orion Constellation

Stars and Galaxies .

Haunting Portrait: NASA’s Webb Reveals Dust, Structure in Pillars of Creation

Stars and Galaxies .

NASA Telescope Takes 12-Year Time-Lapse Movie of Entire Sky

Stars and Galaxies .

Star Duo Forms ‘Fingerprint’ in Space, NASA’s Webb Finds

Stars and Galaxies .

A Cosmic Tarantula, Caught by NASA’s Webb

Explore More

Mission .

ASTHROS

Video .

What's Up - March 2023

Mission .

Euclid

Video .

What's Up - February 2023

Mission .

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope

Video .

What's Up - January 2023

Video .

What's Up - December 2022

Video .

What's Up - November 2022

Video .

What's Up - October 2022

Video .

What's Up - September 2022

About JPL
Who We Are
Executive Council
Directors
Careers
Internships
The JPL Story
JPL Achievements
Documentary Series
Annual Reports
Missions
Current
Past
Future
All
News
All
Earth
Solar System
Stars and Galaxies
Subscribe to JPL News
Galleries
Images
Videos
Audio
Podcasts
Apps
Visions of the Future
Slice of History
Robotics at JPL
Events
Lecture Series
Team Competitions
Speakers Bureau
Calendar
Visit
Public Tours
Virtual Tour
Directions and Maps
Topics
JPL Life
Solar System
Mars
Earth
Climate Change
Exoplanets
Stars and Galaxies
Robotics
More
Asteroid Watch
NASA's Eyes Visualizations
Universe - Internal Newsletter
Social Media
Get the Latest from JPL
Follow Us

JPL is a federally funded research and development center managed for NASA by Caltech.

More from JPL
Careers Education Science & Technology Acquisitions JPL Store
Careers
Education
Science & Technology
Acquisitions
JPL Store
Related NASA Sites
Basics of Spaceflight
Climate Kids
Earth / Global Climate Change
Exoplanet Exploration
Mars Exploration
Solar System Exploration
Space Place
NASA's Eyes Visualization Project
Voyager Interstellar Mission
NASA
Caltech
Privacy
Image Policy
FAQ
Feedback
Site Managers: Veronica McGregor, Randal Jackson
Site Editors: Tony Greicius, Naomi Hartono
CL#: 21-0018