NASA and Postal Service Team Up for Commemorative Webb Photo Stamps
NASA and the United States Postal Service (USPS) have teamed up on two new Priority Mail stamps that celebrate the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST/Webb).
Webb Finds That Many Old, Distant Galaxies Look Like Surfboards
While the James Webb Space Telescope has been busy helping scientists solve some of the greatest mysteries of the early Universe, the powerful telescope has also found that many distant galaxies have flattened oval disk and tube-like shapes, unlike the spiral and elliptical structures that are more typically seen in closer galaxies.
Webb Answers One of the Early Universe’s Biggest Questions
While the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has delivered many beautiful images, its primary mission is to probe the early Universe and help humanity solve some of the most significant questions it faces. Webb has delivered on this promise by revealing, for the first time, what is in the local environment of galaxies in the very earliest days of the Universe.
The Best James Webb Space Telescope Photos of 2023
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has wrapped up its first full year of scientific operations, and beyond "breaking" cosmology, the telescope has also delivered some of the most spectacular photos of deep space ever seen.
Our Favorite PetaPixel Stories of 2023
This year has been a fascinating one in the world of photography, and like every year, it was full of incredible highs, devastating lows, and everything in between.
Uranus’ Rings and Moons Dazzle in New Webb Image
The James Webb Space Telescope has an early Christmas present for space enthusiasts: A stunning new photo of the ice giant Uranus.
Webb Identifies a Tiny Brown Dwarf That Defies Explanation
Even as telescopes and observatories uncover more details about space, it remains mysterious. One puzzle revolves around the "smallest object that can form in a star-like manner," according to NASA. With the help of the James Webb Space Telescope, scientists have identified a new record holder for that category: a free-floating brown dwarf.
Canadian Space Telescope CASTOR Aims to Take the Reins from Hubble
Although the Hubble Space Telescope has had a heck of a run, it cannot last forever. Astronomers have been planning for Hubble's retirement for many years, and a Canadian telescope called CASTOR may be the best candidate to fill the inevitable void in ultraviolet space exploration.
Supernova Remnant Cas A Shines and Confounds in Webb’s Newest Portrait
In April, the James Webb Space Telescope kick-started a new era of investigation into Cassiopeia A (Cas A), a prototypical supernova remnant that has been the subject of extensive study by numerous telescopes. Today, researchers shared another view of Cas A that has stunned astronomers.
Gaze Upon Webb’s Latest Photo of a Colorful Stellar Nursery
Among the most incredible spectacles in deep space are Herbig-Haro (HH) objects: bright patches of the interstellar medium associated with newborn stars, also known as protostars. Webb has imaged HH 797, capturing one of the best images of a Herbig-Haro object.
Webb’s Spectacular New Photo Reveals Mysteries in the Heart of Our Galaxy
The latest image from the James Webb Space Telescope reveals an incredibly dense region of the center of the Milky Way galaxy in unprecedented detail, showing never-before-seen features of Earth's neighborhood that astronomers still cannot explain.
Hubble and Webb Deliver the Most Colorful View of the Universe Ever
Despite the somewhat familiar narrative that the James Webb Space Telescope has been built to supplant the aging Hubble Space Telescope, the two orbiting observatories regularly collaborate. Scientists have now combined data from Hubble and Webb to create the most colorful view of the Universe ever.
Photographer Spends 15 Years Capturing the Construction of the James Webb Space Telescope
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) was 30 years in the making and now as it orbits the Sun delivering incredible imagery of the Universe a photographer who documented its construction has revealed his jaw-dropping pictures.
Scientists Discover the Most Distant Black Hole Ever Seen in X-rays
By combining data from NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory and the James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers have discovered the most distant black hole ever detected in X-rays.
Webb’s Spectacular and Beautiful Views of the Crab Nebula and M83
It has been a busy week for the James Webb Space Telescope. Fresh images of the Crab Nebula and the Messier 83 spiral galaxy have been shared, showcasing incredible new views of the cosmos.
Webb Snaps Never-Before-Seen Feature in Jupiter’s Atmosphere
The James Webb Space Telescope has discovered a high-speed jet stream in Jupiter's lower stratosphere, approximately 25 miles above the planet's clouds.
Webb Space Telescope Captures Ethereal View of a Stellar Nursery
Among the James Webb Space Telescope's many scientific objectives are providing astronomers and physicists unprecedented looks at areas where stars are being born. These stellar nurseries are not only of great scientific importance, but they are also visually spectacular.
Galaxies Galore: Hubble Celebrates Galaxies With New Photos All Week
Each day this week, NASA has been publishing a new galaxy image captured by the venerable Hubble Space Telescope. In addition to sharing fascinating information about some of the most interesting galaxies in the universe, each post has also been a visual treat.
The Orion Nebula Is Full of Binary Pairs of ‘Planets’ That ‘Shouldn’t Exist’
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has captured new images of the Orion Nebula that are visually stunning and a treasure trove for astronomers that shows cosmic objects that defy explanation.
Webb Telescope Photo Shows What Our Baby Sun Looked Like
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has captured an image of Herbig-Haro 211 that is an "infantile analog" of the Sun when it was just a baby star with a mass of about one-twelfth the present-day Sun.
Photo of a Cosmic Whirlpool Offers New Details on Star Formation
The James Webb Space Telescope's Mid-InfraRed Instrument (MIRI) and Near-InfraRed Camera (NIRCam) have captured the graceful, well-defined bending arms of the grand-design spiral galaxy M51, also known as NGC 5194.
Webb Photographs the Ring Nebula in Unprecedented Detail
The James Webb Space Telescope has observed the Ring Nebula in spectacular, unprecedented detail using its Near-InfraRed Camera (NIRCam) and Mid-InfraRed Instrument (MIRI) imagers.
Spectroscopy Reveals Details About Cosmic Objects That Simple Photos Can’t
Like all cameras, the sophisticated imaging instruments used in telescopes detect wavelengths of light. While some telescopes see in visible light, as human eyes do, others work in wavelengths that people cannot see.
How Scientists Bring Webb’s Images to Life in Beautiful Color
The James Webb Space Telescope YouTube channel released a fascinating new video this week that explains how Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) science visuals developers Joe DePasquale and Alyssa Pagan transform Webb's black-and-white image data into full-color composites.
Scientists Explain Cosmic ‘Question Mark’ That Puzzled the Internet
The James Webb Space Telescope recently photographed the Herbig-Haro 46/47, a pair of newly forming stars. The beautiful composite is vast and full of rich detail, including a cosmic question mark.
Webb Unveils Strange Distant Galaxies in Incredible New Detail
Webb's new infrared image of the galaxy cluster "El Gordo" ("the Fat One") showcases hundreds of galaxies, some of which have never been seen before in such detail. Using its Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam), Webb has used the gravitational lensing created by El Gordo to see distant background galaxies more clearly, offering scientists a unique look at the distant universe.
James Webb Image of Ring Nebula Looks Like an Epic Sports Stadium
A new James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) image of the Ring Nebula that boasts an exquisite green looks like a sports stadium lit up at night at first glance.
Webb’s Photo of This Influential Galaxy Teaches a lot About the Early Universe
The James Webb Space Telescope recently captured a colorful image of the irregular galaxy NGC 6822. Using its Near InfraRed Camera (NIRCam) and Mid-InfraRed Instrument (MIRI), Webb observed different aspects of NGC 6822, including gas-rich regions and specific organic compounds critical for star and planetary formation.
Webb Photographs Newly Forming Stars in Incredible, Colorful Detail
The James Webb Space Telescope has captured an amazing image of Herbig-Haro 46/47 using its near-infrared instrument, NIRCam. The image, processed by Joe DePasquale of the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), showcases a "tightly bound pair of actively forming stars" in brilliant detail and color.
How Editors Blend Art and Science to Bring NASA’s Space Photos to Life
Since it began its full scientific operations at the second Lagrange point (L2), about one million miles (1.5 million kilometers) from Earth last year, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has enchanted people around the world. Webb's photos have inspired many people to learn more about space and look at the night sky with unprecedented wonder and curiosity.