NASA Chief: James Webb Space Telescope will reveal 'deepest image of our universe'

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will present “the deepest image of our universe”, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson has said. Speaking at a media event at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Nelson provided a sneak peek into what to expect from the first Webb images on July 12 but did not specify exactly which objects the telescope has observed. 

The NASA Chief, however, said that these images will surely consist of the oldest objects ever photographed and that Webb has peered "farther than humanity has ever looked before". Thomas Zurbuchen, associate administrator for NASA's science mission directorate, who was also present at the event said that Webb will also present the first spectrum of an exoplanet, and this spectrum will then be studied to understand the chemistry of that alien world and its evolution. "We'll look at these worlds out there that keep us awake at night, as we look into the starry sky and wonder is there life elsewhere?" Zurbuchen said during the event as per Space.com.

Installed approximately 15 lakh kilometres away from Earth, at the second Lagrange point, the Webb telescope currently has one of its four instruments ready for science. Earlier on Wednesday, NASA revealed that the instrument turned on recently will use one of its four modes to study the atmosphere of the exoplanets orbiting other stars. Having launched on December 25, the telescope is expected to succeed the Hubble Space Telescope which is now three decades old and is nearing its retirement. 

Where to watch Webb's photo release event?

NASA is inviting the public to view Webb's photo release at the event that will be aired live at 8 pm (IST) on July 12. You can watch the event on NASA's YouTube channel, NASA TV and ESA TV. The images will be presented collectively by NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), the developers of the $10 billion observatory. While in the commissioning phase, scientists have, on multiple occasions, shared a glimpse of Webb's capabilities thanks to its high-resolution instruments. 

In the last six months since its launch, the telescope has observed a sun-like star and even an asteroid to practice its precision on moving objects. Recently, the mission teams released pictures featuring different wavelengths of infrared light and the element hydrogen detected in that spectrum. 

Images comparing Webb and the now-retired Spitzer telescope were also released, showing the superiority of the former when it comes to observing the universe in infrared. A few weeks from now, the remaining three instruments of Webb will be ready for science and thus observing the early universe.