On July 12, 2022, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, a collaboration with ESA (European Space Agency) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), will release its first full-color pH๏τos and spectroscopic data. 

Webb, the largest and most complicated observatory ever launched into space, has been undergoing a six-month preparation process before it can begin science operations, calibrating its instruments to their space environment and aligning its mirrors. 

This meticulous procedure, not to mention years of new technology development and mission preparation, has culminated in the first pH๏τographs and data: a demonstration of Webb at full capacity, ready to begin its research mission and reveal the infrared cosmos.

“As we near the end of preparing the observatory for science, we are on the precipice of an incredibly exciting period of discovery about our universe. The release of Webb’s first full-color images will offer a unique moment for us all to stop and marvel at a view humanity has never seen before,” said Eric Smith, Webb program scientist at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “These images will be the culmination of decades of dedication, talent, and dreams – but they will also be just the beginning.”

Reference(s): NASA