A New View of Space

What do the most distant galaxies in the universe look like? That’s one of many questions scientists hope to answer with the James Webb Space Telescope. Launched in December of last year, it’s the biggest and most powerful telescope ever sent into space. In July, NASA, the U.S. space agency, released some of the stunning first images taken by the telescope. They include photos of faraway galaxies and newly formed stars.

To appreciate how powerful the Webb telescope is, it helps to have an idea of just how big the universe is. Our galaxy is called the Milky Way. Our sun is one of billions of stars in our galaxy, and Earth is one of countless planets. But the Milky Way isn’t the only galaxy in the universe. There are so many others that scientists cannot count them all! 

The Webb telescope is taking pictures of the farthest galaxies ever seen. They formed more than 13 billion years ago. Scientists hope the Webb telescope will give new clues about the beginning of the universe.

NASA’s future goals for the telescope include looking for signs of life on distant planets. Scientists expect to discover many other secrets of space.

“I can’t wait to see the discoveries that we uncover,” says NASA official Bill Nelson. “The team is just getting started!”