James Webb Space Telescope (JWST)
Seth Green visits NASA Goddard during a test of our centrifuge
updated
The journey begins and ends on a new mid- and near-infrared image from the James Webb Space Telescope, and includes a fade to the mid-infrared view from Webb.
Webb has captured the pair of galaxies in the process of merging, which will take hundreds of millions of years.
Credits:
Video: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Danielle Kirshenblat (STScI)
These new observations offer deeper insights into the formation and evolution of this iconic nebula, enriching our understanding of stellar nurseries.
The discussion also highlights the scientific significance of these findings, bringing complex astrophysical concepts into clearer focus.
For more information, visit science.nasa.gov/mission/webb.
Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Paul Morris: Lead Producer
Thaddeus Cesari: Script
Image Credits:
NASA/Webb, CSA, ESA, ESA/Euclid, Euclid Consortium, ESO, Digitized Sky Survey 2, N. Bartmann (ESA/Webb), E. Slawik, N. Risinger, D. De Martin, M. Zamani (ESA/Webb), K. Misselt (University of Arizona) and A. Abergel (IAS/University Paris-Saclay, CNRS)
Music Credit:
"One Way Journey" by Timothy James Cornick [PRS] and Matthew Jacob Loveridge [PRS] via BBC Production Music [PRS], and Universal Production Music.
This video can be freely shared and downloaded at svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14663. While the video in its entirety can be shared without permission, the music and some individual imagery may have been obtained through permission and may not be excised or remixed in other products. Specific details on such imagery may be found here: svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14663. For more information on NASA’s media guidelines, visit nasa.gov/multimedia/guidelines/index.html.
Follow NASA's James Webb Space Telescope:
· Facebook: facebook.com/NASAWebb
· X: twitter.com/NASAWebb
· Instagram: instagram.com/nasawebb
· Flickr: flickr.com/photos/nasawebbtelescope
If you liked this video, subscribe to the NASA Webb Telescope YouTube channel:
youtube.com/@NASAWebbTelescope/featured
The journey begins and ends on a new mid- and near-infrared image from the James Webb Space Telescope, and includes a brief fade to a visible light image from the Hubble Space Telescope.
The pair are separated by only 100,000 light-years — relatively close in astronomical terms. Our Milky Way galaxy and nearest neighbor, the Andromeda galaxy, are separated by about 2.5 million light-years. This tour spotlights what’s happened since they’ve interacted, including a blue haze that joins them.
Also look for contrasting views of the spiral galaxy at top right, which “disappears” in Webb’s mid-infrared view.
Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Danielle Kirshenblat (STScI)
A new image of Serpens from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope shows an intriguing group of aligned protostellar outflows within one region of the nebula. Protostellar outflows are formed when jets of gas spewing from newborn stars collide with nearby gas and dust at high speeds.
This region is also home to several captivating features—the flapping shadow of a planet-forming disk, nicknamed the “Bat Shadow,” areas of varying density that appear as crevices, and a special binary protostar.
Read more: science.nasa.gov/missions/webb/first-of-its-kind-detection-made-in-striking-new-webb-image
Credits:
Video: Danielle Kirshenblat (STScI)
Image: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI
Science: Klaus Pontoppidan (NASA-JPL), Joel Green (STScI)
Now, NASA has released a new 3D visualization of these towering celestial structures using data from NASA's Hubble and James Webb space telescopes. This is the most comprehensive and detailed multiwavelength movie yet of this star-birthing region.
The movie takes visitors into the three-dimensional structures of the pillars. Rather than an artistic interpretation, the video is based on observational data from a science paper led by Anna McLeod, an associate professor at the University of Durham in the United Kingdom. McLeod also served as a scientific advisor on the movie project.
The 3D structures are approximations for how the pillars are lined up in space like a row of trees, based on observational data. The goal is to give viewers an experiential view, so that they can better interpret the otherwise flat, two-dimensional images from telescopes.
Read more: science.nasa.gov/missions/hubble/new-hubble-webb-pillars-of-creation-visualization
Credit:
Greg Bacon (STSci): Producer
Frank Summers (STSci): Director
Anna McLeod(Durham): Science Advisor
Visualization:
Greg Bacon, Ralf Crawford, Joseph DePasquale, Leah Hustak, Danielle Kirshenblat, Christian Nieves, Joseph Olmsted, Alyssa Pagan, Frank Summers(STSci), Robert Hurt (Caltech/IPAC)
Music Credit:
"Adrift” by Joseph DePasquale (STSci)
While the video in its entirety can be shared without permission, the music and some individual imagery may have been obtained through permission and may not be excised or remixed in other products. For more information on NASA’s media guidelines, visit: nasa.gov/multimedia/guidelines/index.html
Watch on NASA+: plus.nasa.gov/video/other-worlds-europa
Credits:
Director: James Tralie
Producers: James Tralie, Elizabeth Landau, Lonnie Shekhtman
Writers: Elizabeth Landau, James Tralie
Editor: James Tralie
On Camera Talent: Heidi Hammel, Geronimo Villanueva, Lynnae Quick, Bob Pappalardo, Serina Diniega, John Mather, Jonathan Lunine, Samantha Trumbo
Animation: Walt Feimer, Michael Lentz, Jonathan North, Adriana Manrique Gutierrez, Krystofer Kim, Lisa Poje
Videographers: Rob Andreoli, John Philyaw, Mike McClare, Michael Menzel, Jr., Sophia Roberts, Bertrand Odom-Reed, Anthony Penta
NASA+ Executive Producer: Rebecca Sirmons
Special thanks to: Leslie Mullen, Christopher Nunley, Stephen Epstein, Blaine Baggett, Eric De Jong (in memoriam), NASA/JPL-Caltech
Music Credits:
· “Horsepower” - Emmanuel Stephane Rousseau
· “Dream On” - Christopher Edmund Elmsie and Stuart Roslyn
· “Follow the Drinking Gourd” - Kavin Hoo
· “The Cold Truth” - Alex Parsons
· “Dreadful Solitude” - Martin Laschober and Richard M. Lauw
· “What is Real” - Derek Whitacre
· “Master of Illusion” - Thomas Alexander Farnon
· “Disturbed Dreams” - Beth Perry and Chris Doney
· “Threat from Within” - Thomas Alexander Farnon
· “Losing Orientation” - Thomas Alexander Farnon
· “Beautiful Code” - Daniel Marantz and Sam Clunie
· “A Distant Life” - Thomas Alexander Farnon
· “Fractured Past” - Thomas Alexander Farnon
· “Second Guessing” - Derek Whitacre
· “Cold Reflection” - Thomas Alexander Farnon
· “Within the Shadows” - Thomas Alexander Farnon
· “The Big Blue” - Barnaby Allan Taylor and Ben Salisbury
· “Bitter Frosts” - Paul Leonard Morgan
· “Never Give Up Hope” - Thomas Alexander Farnon
· “Untouched Landscape” - Benji Paul Merrison and Will Slater
· “Majestic Power” - Benji Paul Merrison and Will Slater
· “Pathfiinder” - Alan Myson
· “Reaching from Beyond” - Thomas Alexander Farnon
· “Calm Seas” - Barnaby Allan Taylor and Ben Salisbury
· “Always Forward” - Ram Khat
· “The World Before Us” - Sergey Azbel
· “Seen in the Stars” - Oliver Philippe Price and Stuart Roslyn
· “Embers” - Alan Myson
· “Growing in Strength” - Benji Paul Merrison and Will Slater
· “Defy Gravity” - Markus Gleissner
The Horsehead Nebula is an iconic area in the constellation Orion where massive stars are being born.
Combining views from many telescopes allows astronomers to understand the inner workings of this nebula like never before. From Euclid, to Hubble, and now Webb, we can learn more about our universe thanks to these amazing machines. Read more about Webb's observations of the Horsehead Nebula: science.nasa.gov/missions/webb/webb-captures-top-of-iconic-horsehead-nebula-in-unprecedented-detail
For more information about Webb, visit webb.nasa.gov/.
Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Paul Morris: Lead Producer
Liz Landau: Script
Isabelle Yan: Producer
Image Credits:
NASA/Webb, CSA, ESA, ESA/Euclid, Euclid Consortium, ESO, Digitized Sky Survey 2, N. Bartmann (ESA/Webb), E. Slawik, N. Risinger, D. De Martin, M. Zamani (ESA/Webb), K. Misselt (University of Arizona) and A. Abergel (IAS/University Paris-Saclay, CNRS)
Image of Williamina Fleming as part of the Public Domain
Image of Photographic Plate courtesy of Harvard College Observatory, Astronomical Photographic Glass Plate Collection
Music Credit:
"Ambition" by Baxter Jervis [ASCAP] via Atmosphere Music Ltd. [PRS], and Universal Production Music.
This video can be freely shared and downloaded at svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14590. While the video in its entirety can be shared without permission, the music and some individual imagery may have been obtained through permission and may not be excised or remixed in other products. Specific details on such imagery may be found here: svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14590. For more information on NASA’s media guidelines, visit nasa.gov/multimedia/guidelines/index.html.
Follow NASA's Webb Space Telescope:
· Facebook: facebook.com/NASAWebb
· X: twitter.com/NASAWebb
· Instagram: instagram.com/nasawebb
· Flickr: flickr.com/photos/nasawebbtelescope
---
If you liked this video, subscribe to the NASA Webb Telescope YouTube channel:
youtube.com/@NASAWebbTelescope/featured
Follow NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
· Instagram http://www.instagram.com/nasagoddard
· X http://twitter.com/NASAGoddard
· Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NASAGoddard
· Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/gsfc
Located 12 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major, this galaxy is relatively compact in size but hosts a frenzy of star formation activity. For comparison, M82 is sprouting new stars 10 times faster than the Milky Way galaxy.
Using Webb to Inspect the activity in galaxies like these can deepen astronomers’ understanding of the early universe by getting a closer look at the physical conditions that foster the formation of new stars.
Read more: science.nasa.gov/missions/webb/nasas-webb-probes-an-extreme-starburst-galaxy
For more information about Webb, visit webb.nasa.gov/.
Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Paul Morris: Lead Producer
Isabelle Yan: Producer
Dr. Stefanie N Milam: Voiceover
Thaddeus Cesari: Script
Abigail Major, STScI: Script
Image: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI
Music Credit:
"A Simpler Time" by Oskari Nurminen [ASCAP] via Universal Publishing Prod. Music Nordic [STIM], and Universal Production Music.
Video Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
This video can be freely shared and downloaded at svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14561. While the video in its entirety can be shared without permission, the music and some individual imagery may have been obtained through permission and may not be excised or remixed in other products. Specific details on such imagery may be found here: svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14561. For more information on NASA’s media guidelines, visit nasa.gov/multimedia/guidelines/index.html.
Follow NASA's Webb Space Telescope:
· Facebook: facebook.com/NASAWebb
· X: twitter.com/NASAWebb
· Instagram: instagram.com/nasawebb
· Flickr: flickr.com/photos/nasawebbtelescope
---
If you liked this video, subscribe to the NASA Webb Telescope YouTube channel:
youtube.com/@NASAWebbTelescope/featured
Watch on NASA+: plus.nasa.gov/video/other-worlds-2
Watch Episode 2 (Europa) on NASA+: plus.nasa.gov/video/other-worlds-europa
Credits:
Director: James Tralie
Producers: Lonnie Shekhtman, James Tralie, Elizabeth Landau
Writers: Lonnie Shekhtman, James Tralie, Elizabeth Landau
Editor: James Tralie
On-camera Talent : Heidi Hammel, Stefanie Milam, Naomi Rowe-Gurney, Geronimo Villanueva, John Mather, Conor Nixon, Leigh Fletcher
Animation: Walt Feimer, Michael Lentz, Jonathan North, Adriana Manrique Gutierrez, Krystofer Kim
Videographers: Rob Andreoli, John Philyaw, Mike McClare, Michael Menzel, Jr., Sophia Roberts, Liz Landau
Sheltered among these dusty envelopes of gas are more than 200 of the hottest, most massive kinds of stars, all in the early stages of their lives. The largest of these stars can have more than 100 times the mass of our own Sun.
How stars are born and how they interact with their environments are two big questions in astronomy today that are actively being studied with the Webb telescope. In this new image, Webb is showing us parts of the story of star formation that we could never see before, revealing more about the universe and our place in it.
For more information, visit webb.nasa.gov/.
Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Paul Morris: Lead Producer
Dr. Jane Rigby: Voiceover
Hannah Braun, STScI: Script
Image: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI
Music Credit:
"Into Orbit" by Laurent Dury [SACEM] via Koka Media [SACEM], Universal Production Music France [SACEM], and Universal Production Music.
This video can be freely shared and downloaded at svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14544. While the video in its entirety can be shared without permission, the music and some individual imagery may have been obtained through permission and may not be excised or remixed in other products. Specific details on such imagery may be found here: svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14544. For more information on NASA’s media guidelines, visit nasa.gov/multimedia/guidelines/index.html.
Follow NASA's Webb Space Telescope:
· Facebook: facebook.com/NASAWebb
· X: twitter.com/NASAWebb
· Instagram: instagram.com/nasawebb
· Flickr: flickr.com/photos/nasawebbtelescope
---
If you liked this video, subscribe to the NASA Webb Telescope YouTube channel:
youtube.com/@NASAWebbTelescope/featured
Follow NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
· Instagram http://www.instagram.com/nasagoddard
· X http://twitter.com/NASAGoddard
· Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NASAGoddard
· Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/gsfc
Watch the full episode now on NASA+: plus.nasa.gov/video/other-worlds-europa
Credit: NASA
Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Animators
Adriana Manrique Gutierrez (KBR Wyle Services, LLC)
Jonathan North (KBR Wyle Services, LLC)
Michael Lentz (KBR Wyle Services, LLC)
Walt Feimer (KBR Wyle Services, LLC)
Writers
Michael McClare (KBR Wyle Services, LLC)
Michael Starobin (KBR Wyle Services, LLC)
Editors
Michael McClare (KBR Wyle Services, LLC)
Rich Melnick (KBR Wyle Services, LLC)
Host
Sophia Roberts (Advocates in Manpower Management, Inc.) [Lead]
Producers
Michael McClare (KBR Wyle Services, LLC) [Lead]
Michael Starobin (KBR Wyle Services, LLC) [Lead]
Sophia Roberts (Advocates in Manpower Management, Inc.)
Videographer
Michael McClare (KBR Wyle Services, LLC) [Lead]
Read more: nasa.gov/missions/webb/nasas-webb-stuns-with-new-high-definition-look-at-exploded-star
Credits:
Video: Danielle Kirshenblat (STScI)
Image: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI
Science: Danny Milisavljevic (Purdue University), Ilse De Looze (UGent), Tea Temim (Princeton University)
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope captures in unprecedented detail the various components that comprise the Crab, including the expanding cloud of hot gas, cavernous filaments of dust, and synchrotron emission. The synchrotron emission is the result of the nebula’s pulsar: a rapidly rotating neutron star that is located in the center.
The wind produced by the pulsar shapes the Crab Nebula’s form and pushes fast-moving particles along the magnetic field, forming thin ribbons that flow throughout the nebula’s interior. Toward the nebula’s edges are cavernous filaments of dust and hot gas—now-fractured material that was and continues to be ejected at high speeds. Zooming out reveals the nebula’s unique structure, including areas where the synchrotron emission seems to be pinched.
Webb’s sensitivity, along with the rich data collected by other telescopes, is helping astronomers study this complex and changing scene. This information will lead to an improved understanding of the Crab Nebula’s mysterious origins as well as broaden knowledge about the lives and deaths of stars.
Credits:
Science: Tea Temim (Princeton University)
Image: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI
Video: Danielle Kirshenblat (STScI)
Joe shares what happens before the data are downloaded (hint: a lot!) and why its raw images appear almost black. He goes on to explain how stretching and compression are techniques they use to reveal the bulk of what Webb captured.
Alyssa shares how they assign color and compose Webb’s final images to emphasize scientifically valuable details. She also explains how infrared light is different than visible light, and how she and Joe compose the final full-color images.
In addition to the full video, all four sections are available for download on this page: webbtelescope.org/contents/media/videos/01H2X7VY2BRFBXNQAMEJP2NF1M
Read the companion article: webbtelescope.org/contents/articles/how-are-webbs-full-color-images-made
Credits:
Producer: NASA, ESA, CSA, Danielle Kirshenblat (STScI)
Video: Greg Bacon (STScI), Jackie Barrientes (STScI), Claire Blome (STScI), Joseph DePasquale (STScI), Quyen Hart (STScI), Leah Hustak , Joyce Kang (STScI), Danielle Kirshenblat (STScI), Kelly Lepo (STScI), Alyssa Pagan (STScI), Yessi Perez (STScI)
Acknowledgment: Macarena Garcia Marin (ESA), Christine Klicka Warfield (STScI)
Illustration: NASA, STScI
Music: APM, Premium Beat
Credits
Image:
NASA, ESA, CSA
Science:
Jose M. Diego (IFCA), Brenda Frye (University of Arizona), Patrick Kamieneski (ASU), Tim Carleton (ASU), Rogier Windhorst (ASU)
Image Processing:
Alyssa Pagan (STScI), Jake Summers (ASU), Jordan C. J. D'Silva (UWA), Anton M. Koekemoer (STScI), Aaron Robotham (UWA), Rogier Windhorst (ASU)
Video:
Danielle Kirshenblat (STScI)
Jets bursting from young stars crisscross the image, impacting the surrounding interstellar gas and lighting up molecular hydrogen, shown in red. Some stars display the telltale shadow of a circumstellar disk, the makings of future planetary systems. Once our entire solar system, encompassing the entire history of life as we know it, would have appeared something like this if seen from a distance.
At bottom, a glowing cave of dust dominates the image. It was carved out by the star S1, at the center of the cavity – the only star in the image that is significantly more massive than our Sun.
Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA, Greg Bacon (STScI)
Audio description and transcript available here: webbtelescope.org/contents/media/videos/2023/128/01H4YM4EH20F6ZX6M7EWDE9RSN
Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Producer:
Michael P. Menzel (AIMM)
Writer:
Michael P. Menzel (AIMM)
Video editor:
Michael P. Menzel (AIMM)
Interviewer:
Michael P. Menzel (AIMM)
Interviewees:
Eric Smith (NASA/HQ)
John Mather (NASA/HQ)
Keith Parrish (NASA/HQ)
Animators:
Adriana Manrique Gutierrez (KBRwyle)
Leah Hustak (STSCI)
Michael Lentz (KBRwyle)
Michael P. Menzel (AIMM)
Walt Feimer (KBRwyle)
Cinematographers:
John Caldwell (AIMM)
Rob Andreoli (AIMM)
Narrator:
Sophia Roberts (AIMM)
Videographers:
Arianespace/ESA/CNES
Michael McClare (KBRwyle)
Michael P. Menzel (AIMM)
Northrop Grumman
Sean Goebel
Sophia Roberts (AIMM)
W.M. Keck Observatory
Technical support:
Aaron E. Lepsch (ADNET)
Camera Operators:
John Caldwell (AIMM)
Rob Andreoli (AIMM)
Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Producer:
Michael P. Menzel (AIMM)
Writer:
Michael P. Menzel (AIMM)
Interviewer:
(Lead) Michael P. Menzel (AIMM)
Sophia Roberts (AIMM)
Michael McClare (KBRwyle)
Interviewee:
(Lead) Karl Gordon (STScI)
Alyssa Pagan (STScI)
Joseph DePasquale (STScI)
Video editor:
Michael P. Menzel (AIMM)
Animators:
Adriana Manrique Gutierrez (KBRwyle)
European Space Agency
Michael Lentz (KBRwyle)
Michael P. Menzel (AIMM)
Walt Feimer (KBRwyle)
Cinematographers:
Michael P. Menzel (AIMM)
John D. Philyaw (AIMM)
Narrator:
Sophia Roberts (AIMM)
Videographers:
Arianespace/ESA/CNES
Michael McClare (KBRwyle)
Michael P. Menzel (AIMM)
Sophia Roberts (AIMM)
Technical support:
Aaron E. Lepsch (ADNET)
Camera Operators:
(Lead) John D. Philyaw (AIMM)
Michael McClare (KBRwyle)
Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Producer:
Michael McClare (KBRwyle)
Writer:
Michael McClare (KBRwyle)
Video editor:
Michael P. Menzel (AIMM)
Animators:
Adriana Manrique Gutierrez (KBRwyle)
Michael Lentz (KBRwyle)
Michael P. Menzel (AIMM)
Walt Feimer (KBRwyle)
Videographers:
Arianespace/ESA/CNES
Michael McClare (KBRwyle)
Michael P. Menzel (AIMM)
Sophia Roberts (AIMM)
Times Square Alliance
Technical support:
Aaron E. Lepsch (ADNET)
Music: Spring Morning, Maarten Schellekens CC BY-NC 4.0
Credits:
Visualization: Frank Summers (STScI), Greg Bacon (STScI), Joseph DePasquale (STScI), Leah Hustak (STScI), Joseph Olmsted (STScI), Alyssa Pagan (STScI)
Science: Steve Finkelstein (UT Austin), Rebecca Larson (RIT), Micaela Bagley (UT Austin)
The concentration of mass in Pandora’s Cluster is so great that the fabric of spacetime is warped by gravity, creating an effect that makes the region of special interest to astronomers: a natural, super-magnifying glass called a “gravitational lens” that they can use to see very distant sources of light beyond the cluster that would otherwise be undetectable, even to Webb. These lensed sources, which are particularly prominent in the lower right area, appear red in the image, and often as elongated arcs distorted by the gravitational lens.
The video also highlights a mysterious object that appears to be no more than a red dot. One theory is that this source of infrared light is a glowing disk of gas surrounding a supermassive black hole in the early universe.
Read more and download the image: nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2023/nasa-s-webb-uncovers-new-details-in-pandora-s-cluster
Credits:
VIDEO: STScI, Danielle Kirshenblat
MUSIC: PremiumBeat Music, Klaus Hergersheimer
SCIENCE: Ivo Labbe (Swinburne), Rachel Bezanson (University of Pittsburgh)
IMAGE PROCESSING: STScI, Alyssa Pagan
New findings from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope reveal the presence of a much more intricate network of gas and dust structures than previously discovered in the area. Within a plume of gas is cold molecular hydrogen, which provides a perfect environment for young stars to form, some of which can be seen in the image. These young stars generate energy that heats the gas, energizing and splitting the molecular hydrogen. This effectively carves rough ridges into the gas.
Another area at upper right appears to show the head of a dragon, spitting out balls of hot gas. Its “eye” and the balls of gas are areas of active star formation, which will continue to change the environment around it.
The wisps seen in the image at upper right are more evidence of that environmental change. Winds from nearby stars are blowing away material that surrounds still-forming stars, leaving these small structures behind.
Around the arc, we see curly ribbons of glowing gas that outline the cold molecular gas of the region. These many pillars of creation show how pervasive the stellar erosion is in the region.
Eventually, over millions of years, the mixture of energized and dense hydrogen will give way to thousands of stars and far more of these filamentary structures.
Credits
VIDEO: Danielle Kirshenblat (STScI)
MUSIC: High Street Music
SCIENCE: NASA, ESA, CSA, Olivia C. Jones (UK ATC), Guido De Marchi (ESTEC), Margaret Meixner (USRA)
IMAGE PROCESSING: Alyssa Pagan (STScI), Nolan Habel (USRA), Laura Lenkić (USRA), Laurie E. U. Chu (NASA Ames)
Download this video: svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14258
Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Michael McClare (KBRwyle): Lead Producer
Aaron E. Lepsch (ADNET): Technical Support
Michael McClare (KBRwyle): Lead Editor
Michael McClare (KBRwyle): Lead Videographer
Sophia Roberts (AIMM): Videographer
Michael P. Menzel (AIMM): Videographer
Adriana Manrique Gutierrez (KBRwyle): Lead Animator
Robert Navias (NASA): Launch Commentator
Distant galaxies typically make appearances in Webb’s images, but not this one. A translucent layer of gas and dust is drawn like a curtain, allowing the stars to take centerstage. Webb’s near-infrared image will help researchers update their models of star formation. Over time, we’ll learn how stars form and burst out of these dusty clouds over millions of years.
Read more about Webb's near-infrared image of the Pillars of Creation: go.nasa.gov/3EPPiXW
Credits:
Video: Danielle Kirshenblat (STScI)
Music: Soundstripe Productions
Science: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI
Image Processing: Joseph DePasquale (STScI), Anton M. Koekemoer (STScI), Alyssa Pagan (STScI)
Sonifications support blind and low-vision listeners first, but are designed to be captivating to anyone who tunes in. This sonification, which scans the image from left to right, was adapted to a video to allow sighted viewers to watch as a vertical line moves across the frame.
Brighter light in the image is louder. The vertical position of light also dictates the frequency of sound. For example, bright light near the top of the image sounds loud and high, but bright light near the bottom is loud and lower pitched.
This sonification does not represent sounds recorded in space. Two musicians mapped the telescope’s data to sound, carefully composing music to accurately represent details the team would like listeners to focus on. In a way, this sonification is like modern dance or an impressionist painting – it converts Webb’s image to a new medium to engage and inspire listeners. Learn more: nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2022/nasa-webb-s-first-full-color-images-data-are-set-to-sound
Also listen to:
1. The full sonification:
youtu.be/j9shIxS-W-8
2. The top of the image: youtu.be/ZjJpJwVEe2A
3. The lower half of the image: youtu.be/W-MUP2TbsWo
Want more Webb sonifications? Check out the Southern Ring Nebula sonifications (youtu.be/La9DB-bcy5Y), and the WASP-96 b sonification (youtu.be/vqa94WD6smc).
Credits: Image: NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI; Accessibility Production: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, and Kimberly Arcand (CXC/SAO), Matt Russo and Andrew Santaguida (SYSTEM Sounds), Quyen Hart (STScI), Claire Blome (STScI), and Christine Malec (consultant).
Sonifications support blind and low-vision listeners first, but are designed to be captivating to anyone who tunes in. This sonification, which scans the images from left to right, was adapted to a video to allow sighted viewers to watch as a vertical line moves across the frame.
Two stars orbit one another at the center of this planetary nebula. The smaller, fainter red star in the mid-infrared image at right is at the end of its lifetime. It has puffed off layers of gas and dust for thousands of years. Its companion, the brighter, larger star in both images, has stirred up those ejections. Now, listeners can hear the stars and surrounding shells of material in each image clearly.
The colors in the images were mapped to pitches of sound, with frequencies of light converted directly to frequencies of sound. Near-infrared light is represented by a higher range of frequencies at the beginning of the track. Mid-way through, the notes change, becoming lower overall to reflect that mid-infrared includes longer wavelengths of light.
Listen carefully at 15 seconds and 44 seconds. These notes align with the centers of the near- and mid-infrared images, where the stars at the center of the “action” appear. In the near-infrared image that begins the track, only one star is heard clearly, with a louder clang. In the second half of the track, listeners will hear a low note just before a higher note, which denotes that two stars were detected in mid-infrared light. The lower note represents the redder star that created this nebula, and the second is the star that appears brighter and larger.
This sonification does not represent sounds recorded in space. Two musicians mapped the telescope’s data to sound, carefully composing music that represents near- and mid-infrared light, specifically to hear their contrasts. In a way, this sonification is like modern dance or an abstract painting – it converts two of Webb’s images into a new medium to engage and inspire listeners. Learn more: nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2022/nasa-webb-s-first-full-color-images-data-are-set-to-sound
Listen to Webb's near-infrared and mid-infrared images of the Southern Ring Nebula individually:
1. Near-infrared: youtu.be/k7zNJsf3z7w
2. Mid-infrared: youtu.be/ui0Rpvi1axs
Want more Webb sonifications? Check out the Carina Nebula sonification (youtu.be/j9shIxS-W-8), and the WASP-96 b sonification (youtu.be/vqa94WD6smc).
Credits: Image: NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI; Accessibility Production: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, and Kimberly Arcand (CXC/SAO), Matt Russo and Andrew Santaguida (SYSTEM Sounds), Quyen Hart (STScI), Claire Blome (STScI), and Christine Malec (consultant).
This video only includes sounds from the bottom half of the image, which resembles a mountain range in ruddy shades of orange and red. This half of the image has a meandering melodic line to follow the shape of that “mountain range” as it rises and falls in the image, through the center of the frame, from left to right. The jagged line between denser and thinner areas of gas and dust is the arc of the sonification’s melody. Dimmer, dust-obscured areas that appear lower in the image are represented by lower frequencies and clearer, undistorted notes. All stars are represented by a combination of pitches and processed piano notes, but the brightest stars with longer diffraction spikes also carry crashes and clangs from cymbals.
Sonifications support blind and low-vision listeners first, but are designed to be captivating to anyone who tunes in. This sonification, which scans the image from left to right, was adapted to a video to allow sighted viewers to watch as a vertical line moves across the frame.
Brighter light in the image is louder. The vertical position of light also dictates the frequency of sound. For example, bright light near the top of the image sounds loud and high, but bright light near the bottom is loud and lower pitched.
This sonification does not represent sounds recorded in space. Two musicians mapped the telescope’s data to sound, carefully composing music to accurately represent details the team would like listeners to focus on. In a way, this sonification is like modern dance or an impressionist painting – it converts Webb’s image to a new medium to engage and inspire listeners. Learn more: nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2022/nasa-webb-s-first-full-color-images-data-are-set-to-sound
Also listen to:
1. The full sonification:
youtu.be/j9shIxS-W-8
2. The top of the image: youtu.be/ZjJpJwVEe2A
3. Stars only: youtu.be/L-STysURL1U
Want more Webb sonifications? Check out the Southern Ring Nebula sonifications (youtu.be/La9DB-bcy5Y), and the WASP-96 b sonification (youtu.be/vqa94WD6smc).
Credits: Image: NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI; Accessibility Production: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, and Kimberly Arcand (CXC/SAO), Matt Russo and Andrew Santaguida (SYSTEM Sounds), Quyen Hart (STScI), Claire Blome (STScI), and Christine Malec (consultant).
Sonifications support blind and low-vision listeners first, but are designed to be captivating to anyone who tunes in. This sonification, which scans the image from left to right, was adapted to a video to allow sighted viewers to watch as a vertical line moves across the frame.
Brighter light in the image is louder. The vertical position of light also dictates the frequency of sound. For example, bright light near the top of the image sounds loud and high, but bright light near the bottom is loud and lower pitched.
This sonification does not represent sounds recorded in space. Two musicians mapped the telescope’s data to sound, carefully composing music to accurately represent details the team would like listeners to focus on. In a way, this sonification is like modern dance or an impressionist painting – it converts Webb’s image to a new medium to engage and inspire listeners. Learn more: nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2022/nasa-webb-s-first-full-color-images-data-are-set-to-sound
Also listen to:
1. The full sonification:
youtu.be/j9shIxS-W-8
2. The lower half of the image:
youtu.be/W-MUP2TbsWo
3. Stars only: youtu.be/L-STysURL1U
Want more Webb sonifications? Check out the Southern Ring Nebula sonifications (youtu.be/La9DB-bcy5Y), and the WASP-96 b sonification (youtu.be/vqa94WD6smc).
Credits: Image: NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI; Accessibility Production: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, and Kimberly Arcand (CXC/SAO), Matt Russo and Andrew Santaguida (SYSTEM Sounds), Quyen Hart (STScI), Claire Blome (STScI), and Christine Malec (consultant).
Sonifications support blind and low-vision listeners first, but are designed to be captivating to anyone who tunes in. This sonification, which scans the image from left to right, was adapted to a video to allow sighted viewers to watch as a vertical line moves across the frame.
The soundtrack is vibrant and full, representing the detail in this gigantic, gaseous cavity that has the appearance of a mountain range. The Carina Nebula is a large cloud of gas and dust where stars are forming or have already formed.
The gas and dust in the top half of the image are represented in blue hues and windy, drone-like sounds. The bottom half of the image, represented in ruddy shades of orange and red, has a clearer, more melodic composition.
Brighter light in the image is louder. The vertical position of light also dictates the frequency of sound. For example, bright light near the top of the image sounds loud and high, but bright light near the middle is loud and lower pitched. Dimmer, dust-obscured areas that appear lower in the image are represented by lower frequencies and clearer, undistorted notes.
This sonification does not represent sounds recorded in space. Two musicians mapped the telescope’s data to sound, carefully composing music to accurately represent details the team would like listeners to focus on. In a way, this sonification is like modern dance or an impressionist painting – it converts Webb’s image to a new medium to engage and inspire listeners. Learn more: nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2022/nasa-webb-s-first-full-color-images-data-are-set-to-sound
Also listen to:
1. The top of the image: youtu.be/ZjJpJwVEe2A
2. The lower half of the image:
youtu.be/W-MUP2TbsWo
3. Just the stars: youtu.be/L-STysURL1U
Want more Webb sonifications? Check out the Southern Ring Nebula sonification (youtu.be/La9DB-bcy5Y) and the WASP-96 b sonification (youtu.be/vqa94WD6smc).
Credits: Image: NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI; Accessibility Production: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, and Kimberly Arcand (CXC/SAO), Matt Russo and Andrew Santaguida (SYSTEM Sounds), Quyen Hart (STScI), Claire Blome (STScI), and Christine Malec (consultant).
This video only includes sounds from the near-infrared view. Near-infrared light is represented here by a higher range of frequencies than mid-infrared light. There are two stars in the center of this planetary nebula. In the near-infrared, only one star is heard clearly, with a louder clang.
Sonifications support blind and low-vision listeners first, but are designed to be captivating to anyone who tunes in. This sonification, which scans the images from left to right, was adapted to a video to allow sighted viewers to watch as a vertical line moves across the frame.
The sonification does not represent sounds recorded in space. Two musicians mapped the telescope’s data to sound, carefully composing music that represents near- and mid-infrared light, specifically to hear their contrasts. In a way, this sonification is like modern dance or an abstract painting – it converts two of Webb’s images into a new medium to engage and inspire listeners. Learn more: nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2022/nasa-webb-s-first-full-color-images-data-are-set-to-sound
Also listen to these versions of the Southern Ring Nebula sonification:
1. Mid-infrared Image: youtu.be/ui0Rpvi1axs
2. Side-by-Side Image: youtu.be/La9DB-bcy5Y
Want more Webb sonifications? Check out the Carina Nebula sonification (youtu.be/j9shIxS-W-8), and the WASP-96 b sonification (youtu.be/vqa94WD6smc).
Credits: Image: NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI; Accessibility Production: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, and Kimberly Arcand (CXC/SAO), Matt Russo and Andrew Santaguida (SYSTEM Sounds), Quyen Hart (STScI), Claire Blome (STScI), and Christine Malec (consultant).
This video only includes sounds from the mid-infrared view. Mid-infrared light is represented by lower notes overall to reflect that mid-infrared includes longer wavelengths of light. There are two stars in the center of this planetary nebula. Listeners will hear a low note just before a higher note, which denotes that two stars were detected in mid-infrared light. The lower note represents the redder star that created this nebula, and the second is the star that appears brighter and larger.
Sonifications support blind and low-vision listeners first, but are designed to be captivating to anyone who tunes in. This sonification, which scans the images from left to right, was adapted to a video to allow sighted viewers to watch as a vertical line moves across the frame.
The sonification does not represent sounds recorded in space. Two musicians mapped the telescope’s data to sound, carefully composing music that represents near- and mid-infrared light, specifically to hear their contrasts. In a way, this sonification is like modern dance or an abstract painting – it converts two of Webb’s images into a new medium to engage and inspire listeners. Learn more: nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2022/nasa-webb-s-first-full-color-images-data-are-set-to-sound
Also listen to these versions of the Southern Ring Nebula sonification:
1. Near-infrared Image: youtu.be/k7zNJsf3z7w
2. Side-by-Side Image: youtu.be/La9DB-bcy5Y
Want more Webb sonifications? Check out the Carina Nebula sonification (youtu.be/j9shIxS-W-8), and the WASP-96 b sonification (youtu.be/vqa94WD6smc).
Credits: Image: NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI; Accessibility Production: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, and Kimberly Arcand (CXC/SAO), Matt Russo and Andrew Santaguida (SYSTEM Sounds), Quyen Hart (STScI), Claire Blome (STScI), and Christine Malec (consultant).
Data sonifications support blind and low-vision listeners first, but are designed to be captivating to anyone who tunes in. This sonification, which scans the spectrum from left to right, was adapted to a video to allow sighted viewers to watch the progression as the vertical line moves across the graph, ringing out a musical note for each data point. From bottom to top, the y-axis ranges from less to more light blocked. The x-axis represents wavelength of light, and ranges from 0.6 microns on the left to 2.8 microns on the right. The pitches of each data point correspond to the frequencies of light each point represents. Longer wavelengths of light have lower frequencies and are heard as lower pitches. The volume also indicates the amount of light detected in each data point.
The four water signatures are represented by the sound of water droplets falling. These sounds simplify the data – water is detected as a signature that has multiple data points. The sounds align only to the highest points in the data.
This sonification does not represent sounds recorded in space. Two musicians converted Webb’s transmission spectrum to musical pitches to help listeners hear its data. Learn more: nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2022/nasa-webb-s-first-full-color-images-data-are-set-to-sound
Listen also to the Southern Ring Nebula sonifications (youtu.be/La9DB-bcy5Y), and the Carina Nebula sonification (youtu.be/j9shIxS-W-8).
Credits: Image: Image: NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI; Accessibility Production: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, and Kimberly Arcand (CXC/SAO), Matt Russo and Andrew Santaguida (SYSTEM Sounds), Quyen Hart (STScI), Claire Blome (STScI), and Christine Malec (consultant).
Thanks to intern Kate Jolly for this video!
Artists featured in this video:
Carlos Moreno Tent
Claire Lamman
Akerra Nicholson
Shriya Katta
Claire Lamman
Amber Owen and The Montessori Schoolhouse in Springfield, IL students.
Amy Rae Hill
Stefan Vogels Stefan Vogels (Studio DIES)
Erin Barry-Dutro
Marc Gottlieb
Paolo Bettini
Roly Rolerson
Pawani Rajapaksha
S . Shanmathi
Reyansh Sunwar
Juee Naik
NASA GSFC/Adriana Manrique Gutierrez
Navneet Nair
Carlos Galeano
Cat
Kati Falcon
Anusha Ivaturi
Violetta Moonlight
Aahan Singh
Daniela Fino
Priyanka Singh
Molly Chakraborty
Poem by Phooi Jing
Poem read by Kate Jolly
Trillions of stars beaming far,
The universe breathes pristine air ,
Nebulae shields the heaven's breath,
To thousands light years away where secrets stay.
The Big Bang nurtures the first gallon of fluid,
Turns it into series of beauty,
The goddess of beauty we live in,
Maps of dark matter and energy awaiting to be seen.
Old man Hubble has the the glory,
Charted on the milestone gleaming,
The successor Webb has now ready,
To be the heir of this obligated journey.
Stars, planets, humans, ants,
We all are made of the same universe grains,
The symbol of evolution ---- James Webb,
We ride to explore another blue light,
In the name of revolution that births a fruit bright,
We venture into stardust on another flight.
More details: go.nasa.gov/unfoldtheuniverse
(Note: our campaign has been extended!)
Our gallery of submissions: jwst.nasa.gov/content/features/jwstArt/unfoldTheUniverse.html
Music Credits: Universal Production Music. "Scaling Mountains," Christopher Lewis [ PRS ] and Daniel Marantz [ PRS ], Sound Pocket Music [ PRS ]
Credits: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Kate Jolly, Lead Producer and Editor
Thanks to intern Taylor Hart for this video!
Artists featured in this video:
(in order of appearance):
Pat Durning
Sanyukta Nishikant Nibandhe
Mark Shultes
Shelina Swastika Kumar
Căluz Luca
Marc Gottlieb
Dolores Watson
Daniela Fino
Juee Naik
Janset Aydogdu
Lanchen Mihalic
Galina Ivanova
Alice Hanslay
Ella Zhou
Greta Slocum
Michael Duncan
Sreshta Velamuri
Charity Woodrum
Lizzeth Ruiz Arroyo
Alice Hanslay
Jedidiah Dore
Erfan Habibpour
Pierre Vuaillet
Mahmood Nabipoor
Katherine Bjelke
David Law and Nora Luetzgendorf
Ava Strancke
Anri Demchenko
Marina Muscan
Poem by Pat Durning
Poem read by Taylor Hart
Eternal Eye
Cold.
Silent.
Alone in the Dark sits
Our Hope of Discovery
Our Fear of not Knowing
*
Calculated, slow Assembly; one piece resting upon another
By the group that builds:
…while paying the mortgage
…taking the kid to school
…caring for a dying parent
…living, Loving
One moment upon the next, dusk till dawn
Work for an eternal glimpse motoring on
*
Test and Twist
Push and Pull for the unknown journey ahead
While safe in the gravity of our planets’ Earthen beds
*
A collective of insights:
…minds for science
…builders
…movers
…testers
…those that oversee
Grouped together for a moment in time to
Test and Twist, Push and Pull
*
Cold Silence
Traveling in the dark
Further away gliding, until commanded to stop
*
Galaxies seen!
Unknowing becomes clear
Cold, silent Space
Our Eternal Eye rests Here
More details: go.nasa.gov/unfoldtheuniverse
(Note: our campaign has been extended!)
Our gallery of submissions: jwst.nasa.gov/content/features/jwstArt/unfoldTheUniverse.html
Music Credits: Universal Production Music. "Luminous," Magnum Opus [ ASCAP ], Chalk Music [ PRS ]
Credits: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Taylor Hart, Lead Producer and Editor
- Dr. Knicole Colón – Astrophysicist, Deputy Project Scientist for Exoplanet Science, Webb Space Telescope
- Dr. David Law – Associate Astronomer, Space Telescope Science Institute
- Dr. Stefanie Milam – Planetary Scientist and Deputy Project Scientist for Planetary Science, Webb Space Telescope
- Dr. Klaus Pontoppidan – Associate Astronomer and JWST Project Scientist, Space Telescope Science Institute
Moderated by Dr. Quyen Hart – Senior Outreach Scientist and Webb Science Communications Lead, Space Telescope Science Institute
Sign Language Interpreter: Nicolette Velasquez
Enjoy this short trailer for our upcoming broadcast of Webb’s first full-color images and data on July 12! Peter Cullen, voice of Optimus Prime from TRANSFORMERS, says hello to the James Webb Space Telescope — which unfolded like a “Transformer” in space!
Special thanks to Peter Cullen!
Credit: NASA Goddard
Lead Producer: Michael McClare
You can download this video at: svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14178
Listen to Carl Sagan narrate the trailer for our upcoming broadcast of the James Webb Space Telescope’s first full-color images and data. Watch each of the images get revealed one by one on the broadcast, starting at 10:30 am ET (14:30 UTC) on July 12, 2022. Catch the show on any of NASA’s streaming platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Twitch and DailyMotion.
Images will also be made available on all of our social media platforms, including @ nasawebb on Twitter/Instagram/Facebook. You can also check out nasa.gov/webbfirstimages!
Produced by Lindeman & Associates
Voice of Carl Sagan courtesy of Druyan-Sagan Associates, Inc., used with permission
Imagery courtesy of NASA and ESA, with Druyan-Sagan Associates, Inc., used with permission
Music Credit / License: "Starfall" Really Slow Motion LLC
Credits:
NASA, ESA, CSA, Danielle Kirshenblat (STScI)
Designers: Greg Bacon, Leah Hustak, Joe Olmsted, Dani Player
Scientists: Quyen Hart, Dan Coe
Writer: Leah Ramsay
Educator: Holly Ryer
All images, illustrations and videos courtesy of NASA and STScI except:
First Galaxies Formation Animation: Courtesy of The SPHINX collaboration
Footage & Music: Courtesy of Pond 5, Premium Beat, Soundstripe
Narration: Courtesy of Bunny Studio
We are continuing to extend our challenge! With our first images coming July 12, 2022, we want to see how they inspired you! Keep sending in your art!
More details: go.nasa.gov/UnfoldTheUniverse
Our gallery of submissions: jwst.nasa.gov/content/features/jwstArt/unfoldTheUniverse.html
Artists featured in this video:
Vincent Garcia
AJ Wagner
Alice Hanslay
Paolo Bettini
S Shanmathi
Kati Falcon
Austin Voges
Anusha Ivaturi
Barbara Fee Sheehan
Cat (YouTube: Fish Cat)
Ashley Zelenskie
Aahan Singh
Thy Quỳnh
Harshita Mathur
Jack LeBlanc
Jon Young
Michael Duncan
CJ Zahara
Daniela Fino
Alissa Ahmed
Vicki Chase, Canterbury Soapworks
Lizzeth Ruiz Arroyo
Mary McIntyre
Aviral Varma
Amber Owen, Montessori Schoolhouse
Edwin Vasquez
Melanie Joy Mezzancello
Eleanor Pomerantz
Ayaana Vipin Kunimal
Mark Shultes
Grayson Shaw
Nhi Tran
Lissa Buzzelli
Violetta Moonlight
Erin Barry-Dutro
Ahmed Jaidane
Noor Alain Mansour
Luke
Alaa
Hannah Grace F. Ernia
Daniel Schumacher
Zeinab Zare
Ben Canfield
André Mejia
Sanyukta Nishikant Nibandhe
Damien Kidlat Cabanado
Rebecca Sherer
Naalaa
Dolores Watson
Hanna Mernar
Diego and Evan Elias
Music Credits: Universal Production Music. "Magic Mirror" by Andy Blythe, Marten Joustra.
Credits:
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Miranda Chabot, Lead Producer and Editor
Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Michael McClare (KBRwyle): Lead Producer
Michael Starobin (KBRwyle): Producer
Sophia Roberts (AIMM): Producer
Jonathan North (KBRwyle): Animator
Adriana Manrique Gutierrez (KBRwyle): Animator
Chris Meaney (KBRwyle): Animator
Michael McClare (KBRwyle): Lead Videographer
Michael McClare (KBRwyle): Lead Editor
Rich Melnick (KBRwyle): Editor
Sophia Roberts (AIMM): Lead Host
Sophia Roberts (AIMM): Lead Narrator
Download this video at:
svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14136
Featured in this video are engineering images demonstrating the sharp focus of each instrument. For this test, Webb pointed at part of the Large Magellanic Cloud, a small satellite galaxy of the Milky Way, providing a dense field of hundreds of thousands of stars across all the observatory’s sensors. The sizes and positions of the images shown depict the relative arrangement of each of Webb’s instruments in the telescope’s focal plane, each pointing at a slightly offset part of the sky relative to one another. Webb’s three imaging instruments are NIRCam (images shown here at a wavelength of 2 microns), NIRISS (image shown here at 1.5 microns), and MIRI (shown at 7.7 microns, a longer wavelength revealing emission from interstellar clouds as well as starlight). NIRSpec is a spectrograph rather than imager but can take images, such as the 1.1 micron image shown here, for calibrations and target acquisition. The dark regions visible in parts of the NIRSpec data are due to structures of its microshutter array, which has several hundred thousand controllable shutters that can be opened or shut to select which light is sent into the spectrograph. Lastly, Webb’s Fine Guidance Sensor tracks guide stars to point the observatory accurately and precisely; its two sensors are not generally used for scientific imaging but can take calibration images such as those shown here. This image data is used not just to assess image sharpness but also to precisely measure and calibrate subtle image distortions and alignments between the instrument sensors as part of Webb’s overall instrument calibration process.
Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Michael McClare (KBRwyle): Lead Producer
Sophia Roberts (AIMM): Editor
Michael McClare (KBRwyle): Videographer
Michael P. Menzel (AIMM): Videographer
Adriana Manrique Gutierrez (KBRwyle): Animator
Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Music Credit: Cyclic Marimba by Eric Chevalier - Koka Media
Short URL to share this page:
svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14150
Guests:
-Karen Fox, Host;
-Thomas Zurbuchen, Associate Administrator, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters;
-Lee Feinberg, Webb Optical Telescope Element Manager, NASA Goddard; -Erin Wolf, Webb Program Manager, Ball Aerospace in Broomfield, Colorado; -Marshall Perrin, Webb Deputy Telescope Scientist, Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore;
-Jane Rigby, Webb Operations Project Scientist, NASA Goddard.
Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Secondary Creator Credit: Michael Starobin
Location: Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt MD
Photographer: Mike McClare
On March 11, the Webb team completed the stage of alignment known as “fine phasing” – and at this key stage in the commissioning of Webb’s Optical Telescope Element, every optical parameter that has been checked and tested is performing at, or above, expectations. The team found no critical issues and no measurable contamination or blockages to Webb’s optical path. The observatory is able to successfully gather light from distant objects and deliver it to its instruments without issue.
Although there are months to go before Webb ultimately delivers its new view of the cosmos, achieving this milestone means the team is confident that Webb’s first-of-its-kind optical system is working as well as possible.
Read more: nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-s-webb-reaches-alignment-milestone-optics-working-successfully
Music Credit: Emerging Discovery Instrumental by Carter / Universal Production Music
Video Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Aaron E. Lepsch (ADNET): Technical Support
Adriana Manrique Gutierrez (KBRwyle): Animator
Michael McClare (KBRwyle): Lead Producer
Michael McClare (KBRwyle): Lead Videographer
Michael McClare (KBRwyle): Video Editor
Michael P. Menzel (AIMM): Videographer
The team's challenge was twofold: confirm that NIRCam was ready to collect light from celestial objects, and then identify starlight from the same star in each of the 18 primary mirror segments. The result is an image mosaic of 18 randomly organized dots of starlight, the product of Webb's unaligned mirror segments all reflecting light from the same star back at Webb's secondary mirror and into NIRCam's detectors.
What looks like a simple image of blurry starlight now becomes the foundation to align and focus the telescope in order for Webb to deliver unprecedented views of the universe this summer. Over the next month or so, the team will gradually adjust the mirror segments until the 18 images become a single star.
Music credit: Universal Production Music -Transitions Instrumental by Cotton Niblett
Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Michael McClare (KBRwyle): Lead Producer
Adriana Manrique Gutierrez (KBRwyle): Lead Animator
Jonathan North (KBRwyle): Animator
Michael McClare (KBRwyle): Lead Writer
Michael McClare (KBRwyle): Lead Videographer
Michael McClare (KBRwyle): Lead Editor
Michael McClare (KBRwyle): Lead Motion Graphics
Download this video: svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14100
Credit: NASA's Goddard Spaceflight Center
Michael Starobin (KBRwyle): Lead Producer
Michael McClare (KBRwyle): Producer
Michael McClare (KBRwyle): Videographer
Michael McClare (KBRwyle): Lead Video Editor
Rich Melnick (KBRwyle): Video Editor
Jonathan North (KBRwyle): Animator
Adriana Manrique Gutierrez (KBRwyle): Animator
Chris Meaney (KBRwyle): Animator
Walt Feimer (KBRwyle): Animator
Krystofer Kim (KBRwyle): Animator
Michael Lentz (KBRwyle): Animator
Aaron E. Lepsch (ADNET): Technical Support
Download this video at: svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14072
As Webb orbits L2, the telescope stays in line with Earth as it travels around the Sun. L2 is a point where the gravitational influences of the Earth and Sun balance the centripetal force of a small object orbiting with them.
The telescope's optics and instruments need to be kept very cold to be able to observe the very faint infrared signals of very distant objects clearly. This location is perfect for Webb's sunshield to block out light and heat from the Sun, Earth, and Moon. Unlike the Hubble Space Telescope, Webb's orbit keeps the spacecraft out of the Earth's shadow making L2 a thermally stable location for the observatory to operate at.
Webb will operate within its field of regard. The "field of regard" refers to the angles the telescope can move while staying in the shadow of the Sun. Each of Webb's instruments has its own field of view. The field of view is the area of sky an instrument can observe. Webb's fine steering mirror is moved so that an object can be observed by the different instruments. This prevents the whole telescope from having to repoint itself to do so.
The Webb Telescope’s commissioning process will be complete approximately six months after launch, at which time Webb start its science mission. Helping to uncover more of the mysteries of our Universe.
Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Michael P. Menzel (AIMM): Lead Producer
Adriana Manrique Gutierrez (USRA): Animator
Leah Hustak (STScI): Animator
Michael Lentz (USRA): Animator
Aaron E. Lepsch (ADNET): Technical Support
Michael P. Menzel (AIMM): Lead Video Editor
Michael P. Menzel (AIMM): Lead Writer
Download this video: svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/13375
(Republished with small voiceover correction regarding the fine steering mirrors.)
Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Sophia Roberts (AIMM): Lead Producer
Sophia Roberts (AIMM): Lead Writer
Sophia Roberts (AIMM): Lead Editor
Sophia Roberts (AIMM): Videographer
Michael McClare (KBRwyle): Editor
Michael McClare (KBRwyle): Videographer
Michael P. Menzel (AIMM): Production Assistant
Aaron E. Lepsch (ADNET): Lead Technical Support
Duncan Wiles: Videographer
Walt Feimer (KBRwyle): Lead Animator
Adriana Manrique Gutierrez (KBRwyle): Animator
Bailee DesRocher (USRA): Animator
Jacquelyn DeMink (USRA): Animator
Krystofer Kim (KBRwyle): Animator
Jonathan North (KBRwyle): Animator
Michael Lentz (KBRwyle): Animator
Download this video: svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14014
Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Sophia Roberts (AIMM): Lead Producer
Sophia Roberts (AIMM): Lead Writer
Sophia Roberts (AIMM): Lead Editor
Sophia Roberts (AIMM): Videographer
Michael McClare (KBRwyle): Videographer
Michael McClare (KBRwyle): Editor
Michael P. Menzel (AIMM): Production Assistant
Duncan Wiles: Videographer
Aaron E. Lepsch (ADNET): Lead Technical Support
Walt Feimer (KBRwyle): Lead Animator
Adriana Manrique Gutierrez (KBRwyle): Animator
Bailee DesRocher (USRA): Animator
Jacquelyn DeMink (USRA): Animator
Krystofer Kim (KBRwyle): Animator
Jonathan North (KBRwyle): Animator
Michael Lentz (KBRwyle): Animator
Download this video:
svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14013
Credits: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Sophia Roberts (AIMM): Lead Producer
Sophia Roberts (AIMM): Lead Writer
Sophia Roberts (AIMM): Lead Editor
Sophia Roberts (AIMM): Videographer
Michael McClare (KBRwyle): Editor
Michael McClare (KBRwyle): Videographer
Michael P. Menzel (AIMM): Production Assistant
Duncan Wiles: Videographer
Aaron E. Lepsch (ADNET): Technical Support
Walt Feimer (KBRwyle): Lead Animator
Adriana Manrique Gutierrez (KBRwyle): Animator
Bailee DesRocher (USRA): Animator
Jacquelyn DeMink (USRA): Animator
Krystofer Kim (KBRwyle): Animator
Jonathan North (KBRwyle): Animator
Michael Lentz (KBRwyle): Animator
Download this video:
svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/14012