NASA is celebrating 1 year of James Webb Space Telescope science on July 12. Here’s how to participate (Image Credit: Space.com)
This week marks one year since NASA’s powerful James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) shared its first science images.
On July 12, 2022, JWST beamed back its first full-color images and spectroscopic data, representing the official start of its general science operations. The observatory’s first images captured new views of stunning cosmic objects and peered into the depths of the distant universe.
NASA is hosting a Science Live episode on Wednesday (July 12) at 4:00 p.m. EDT (2000 GMT) to honor the telescope’s first year of science, and you can watch it here at Space.com, courtesy of the agency.
The Science Live episode will feature two JWST experts, who will discuss the impact the space telescope has made in its first year studying the distant universe, characterizing exoplanet atmospheres and understanding the planets in our own solar system, according to a statement from the space agency.
You can watch the episode live on the NASA Science Live website, the agency’s YouTube channel, or its Facebook and Twitter pages. (Space.com will carry the YouTube stream.) Viewers are encouraged to submit questions on social media using the hashtag #UnfoldtheUniverse or by leaving a comment in the chat section of the Facebook or YouTube stream.
Webb’s first images included the deepest and sharpest infrared view of the distant universe, along with stunning photos of the Carina and Southern Ring Nebulas, a group of galaxies called Stephan’s Quintet, and a spectrum of a gas giant exoplanet called WASP-96 b. Since then, the space telescope has revealed incredible new insights about the universe, including the discovery of the oldest galaxy ever imaged.
In honor of the telescope’s first year of science, NASA will also release a brand-new image of JWST’s latest discovery at 6:00 a.m. EDT (1000 GMT) on Wednesday (July 12). NASA will share the image online, but you can also check back on Space.com for a look at the new image and the science behind it.
Community events celebrating Webb’s anniversary will be held at schools, libraries, museums and other locations throughout the summer, too. These free, public events will highlight Webb’s science and accomplishments with information, activities or a presentation. Check out the full schedule to find a local event near you.
