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Images from space
NASA’s Webb telescope gives new perspective
NASA-pic
Concerning this image, Neil Degrasse Tyson tweeted: Deepest-ever view of the cosmos from @NASAWebb. The spiked objects are local stars in our own Galaxy. ignore them. Everything else is an entire galaxy. Many distort into arcs, revealing spacetime curvature from the gravity of a galaxy cluster in the image's center. - photo by photo courtesy of NASA

It’s been less than a month since NASA revealed the first images from the James Webb Space Telescope and proclaimed, “the dawn of a new era in astronomy has begun.”

The space telescope is a joint effort by NASA, the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency.

The images from the world’s largest and most powerful space telescope present “a view the world has never seen before,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson.

“These images, including the deepest infrared view of our universe that has ever been taken, show us how Webb will help to uncover the answers to questions we don’t even yet know to ask; questions that will help us better understand our universe and humanity’s place within it,” Nelson said. “The Webb team’s incredible success is a reflection of what NASA does best. We take dreams and turn them into reality for the benefit of humanity. I can’t wait to see the discoveries that we uncover – the team is just getting started!”

Less than 100 years ago, in 1924, Astronomer Edwin Hubble revealed that our galaxy, the Milky Way, is just one of many galaxies in the universe. The first galaxies were identified in the 17th Century but at the time astronomers didn’t know what they were. It took a clearer view of the cosmos, also provided by a telescope. Today, astronomers believe there may be one or two trillion galaxies stretching over billions of light years.

We can argue about the value of space exploration funded by taxpayer dollars, but it’s fair to say that it has some benefits. The research has led to breakthroughs in technology and science, created scientific and technical jobs, and promoted cooperation with other countries around the world. It has sparked young people’s interest (and the interest of older folk, too) in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, and the arts as well.

The kaleidoscopic images from the Webb telescope promise to solve some of the mysteries of the universe, but there will always be more to discover.

So, take a break from the stress of everyday life and take a look at the universe from a new perspective. Take a look at the first James Webb Space Telescope image of a galactic cluster, or the images that came after. You will be amazed.