NASA releases tantalizing image captured during James Webb Space Telescope's test run

With less than a week left before the release of the James Webb Space Telescope’s first full-colour images, NASA has shared a picture the observatory captured while in its commissioning phase. Captured using the Canadian Space Agency-made Fine Guidance Sensor (FGS), the image features glittering stars with several galaxies filling the space in between. NASA says that this picture offers a tantalising glimpse at what the telescope would reveal in the future. 

(FGS test image; Photo credit- NASA)

The FGS acquired in parallel with NIRCam imaging of the star HD147980 over a period of eight days and a total of 32-hour-long exposure time. The shining, long spike of light on the right-hand side is from the star 2MASS 16235798+2826079 accompanied by a handful of stars along with thousands of galaxies, some near while some in the distant universe. According to NASA, the image is monochromatic and is displayed in false colours namely white, yellow, orange, and red representing the progression from brightest to dimmest and the spikes are a result of Webb's six-sided mirror segments.

"The faintest blobs in this image are exactly the types of faint galaxies that Webb will study in its first year of science operations", Jane Rigby, Webb’s operations scientist said in a statement.

Deepest images of the universe begin to surface

In a recent report published by NASA, it said that the image above is one of the deepest images of the universe. This comes after NASA Chief Bill Nelson's statement over the same wherein he gave hints about the objects Webb's images to be released on July 12 would feature. During the test which was conducted a few weeks ago, the goal of the FGS was to lock onto one star and to test how well Webb could control its roll onto one side like an aircraft. 

While the instrument is capable of taking images, its primary goal is to enable accurate science measurements and imaging with precision pointing. Out of Webb's four science instruments, the FGS will be used in every single observation over the course of the mission’s lifetime. Notably, two instruments are completely ready for science and the telescope is expected to begin its mission in mid-July.