Uploaded December 2024 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
We’re celebrating Webb’s third launchaversary this month by asking you to pick your favorite image. We thought it was only fair to go first. Here Dr. Jane Rigby, our Webb Senior Project Scientist, talks about her favorite Webb image.
0:00 White text reads “We asked Dr. Jane Rigby…” on a background of Webb’s image of Westerlund 1, a dense cluster of bright stars, each with six large and two small diffraction spikes.
0:01 White text that reads “What’s your favorite Webb image?” fades on.
0:05 Jane stands in her office, in front of a standing desk, and talks into a tiny mic.
0:26 Animation of the Webb telescope mirrors, seen from the side. The primary mirror segments are slightly adjusting angles, with white beams of light that slowly converge on the secondary mirror, which is above them from this angle.
0:29 Fade into Webb’s primary mirror “selfie” image, with each hexagonal mirror appearing flat white against a black background. Three black struts create a tripod that meets in the middle of the mirror.
0:31 Back to Jane talking in her office.
0:35 Animation of Webb in space. The camera flies past Webb, and as it does, dozens of stars are shown reflected in the primary mirror.
0:43 Back to Jane.
1:02 Tight shot of Jane’s computer, with her hand gesturing toward the screen. The screen has an image of stars and galaxies, against the black background of space.
1:12 Back to the wider shot of Jane.
1:23 Fade to Webb’s alignment image, a bright red and orange star with long diffraction spikes against a black background of space.
We’re celebrating Webb’s third launchaversary this month by asking you to pick your favorite image. We thought it was only fair to go first. Here Dr. Jane Rigby, our Webb Senior Project Scientist, talks about her favorite Webb image.
0:00 White text reads “We asked Dr. Jane Rigby…” on a background of Webb’s image of Westerlund 1, a dense cluster of bright stars, each with six large and two small diffraction spikes.
0:01 White text that reads “What’s your favorite Webb image?” fades on.
0:05 Jane stands in her office, in front of a standing desk, and talks into a tiny mic.
0:26 Animation of the Webb telescope mirrors, seen from the side. The primary mirror segments are slightly adjusting angles, with white beams of light that slowly converge on the secondary mirror, which is above them from this angle.
0:29 Fade into Webb’s primary mirror “selfie” image, with each hexagonal mirror appearing flat white against a black background. Three black struts create a tripod that meets in the middle of the mirror.
0:31 Back to Jane talking in her office.
0:35 Animation of Webb in space. The camera flies past Webb, and as it does, dozens of stars are shown reflected in the primary mirror.
0:43 Back to Jane.
1:02 Tight shot of Jane’s computer, with her hand gesturing toward the screen. The screen has an image of stars and galaxies, against the black background of space.
1:12 Back to the wider shot of Jane.
1:23 Fade to Webb’s alignment image, a bright red and orange star with long diffraction spikes against a black background of space.
