NASA Reveals First Full-Color Image from James Webb Space Telescope

The largest and most complex space observatory officially begins operations.

Monday, July 11, 2022 at 06:50 PM ET

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The first image released from the James Webb Space Telescope shows a deep field view taken by Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam). It’s a composite made from images at different wavelengths, totaling 12.5 hours. [Courtesy: NASA]

Key Takeaways:

President Joe Biden unveiled the first full-color deep field image from the James Webb Space Telescope, showcasing countless ancient stars and galaxies.
The image, a composite from the NIRCam instrument, provides unprecedented depth in infrared wavelengths, looking back over 13 billion years to near the universe's origin.
This unveiling marks the official beginning of scientific operations for the $10 billion international project, which is history's largest and most complex space observatory.

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President Joe Biden proudly displayed the first full-color image from the James Webb Space Telescope—history’s largest and most complex space observatory—Monday at the White House.

With assistance from Vice President Kamala Harris and NASA administrator Bill Nelson, Biden unveiled the image more than six months after the telescope rocketed into space. The breathtaking image, showing countless stars and galaxies, drew applause during the event which was broadcast live on NASA TV.