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JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE

Goddard Space Flight Center

James Webb
Space Telescope

LAUNCH

What You Need to Know: Webb's Launch

What you need to know!

UPDATED: 10/25/22

Webb Images

    Where do I find NASA published Webb science images?

  • Quick Look - See our Curated FLICKR Gallery : Latest | First Images | Engineering
    Our WebbTelescope FLICKR channel contains a curated representative set of the latest NASA published images and spectra with brief descriptions and access to various downloadable resolutions.
  • In Depth - All Images/Products/Detailed Info see - STScI / WebbTelescope.Org :
    Access to all versions of the latest NASA published Webb images and spectra including multiple views from various Webb instruments and filters, detailed descriptions, meta-data, uncompressed high resolution image downloads, related products and more.
  • ESA Picture of the Month : we will regularly feature ESA's picture of the month on this website's home page. You can also visit ESA's Webb Gallery as an alternative source of Webb imagery and information.
  • NASA NEWS: Stream of the latest NASA.gov articles about Webb including articles on featured Webb science images and spectra.
  • NASA Blog: Often co-authored by scientists and engineers, stories and Webb science images/spectra not covered by NASA News feature articles appear here with a less formal insiders point of view.
  • Webb Social: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Youtube

    • Why are there Webb images on the internet that I can't find on NASA/STScI websites and social media?

  • Short Answer: NASA/STScI generally only publish scientifically peer reviewed results.
  • Investigators from all over the world use Webb everyday to capture images and spectra.
  • Webb images, spectra, and resulting findings go through scientific peer-review* BEFORE being released on NASA/STScI websites and social media.
  • However, Webb investigators sometimes post "preprint" versions of their papers on NON-NASA/STScI websites and social media before the full science peer-review process is complete.
  • In general, you will NOT find these "preprint" images/spectra/findings on NASA/STScI websites and social media therefore you must look for them (and related high-resolution images and meta-data) on the publishing institution's websites and social media.
  • Occasionally NASA and STScI in collaboration with the science community, may publish some exceptional "preprint" images/spectra/findings and they will be labelled as such.
  • FOR MORE DETAIL READ: Webb's Scientific Method

    • * Scientific peer review is a long-established, quality-control system, where new scientific discoveries are scrutinized by experts before they are published. NASA relies on this peer-review process to ensure quality and accuracy of scientific results before sharing them with the public.

    Webb Image Resolutions:

  • NASA/STScI Webb Images are always released at the highest resolution available based on the intrinsic resolution of the specific science image.
  • Image sizes and resolutions vary, sometimes dramatically, because some science images are mosaics assembled from many individual images whereas others maybe a specific astronomical object cropped from a single image possibly via the specific instrument mode employed.
    • Mosaic Example: Carina Nebula
      Total mosaic width 14575px by 8441px high - multiple NIRCam images assembled to create the image.
    • Crop/Masked Example: Exoplanet HIP65426b
      Four views of the exoplanet with different filters, each using coronagraph masks resulting in each exoplanet image ~350px wide arranged together into a ~1500px wide overall four panel image.
    • On this website, we will supply images/links to view the largest available image up to 4k pixel resolution. For resolutions greater than that, up to the full uncompressed versions of images, visit the STScI / WebbTelescope.Org archive. But note, in some cases as noted above, there may not be a higher resolution image available.
    • Resolution Deep Dive: The maximum resolution of Webb's instrument detector arrays and instrument modes used for any particular observation determine maximum resolutions in non-mosaic images. For a deep dive into the details see :

Webb Quick Start

  • Webb's First Images - RELEASED - July 12, 2022 : View Images | Replay: 1st Images Reveal | Replay: 1st Images Media Briefing | How to View Images | Events Viewing/Celebrating
  • First Images Info Packet - Concise "Need To Know" information on the mission and first images release.
  • Follow Webb's Story: Blog | Twitter | News | Images | Video
  • Webb Fact Sheet (download: 2.5MB pdf)- brief descriptions and facts about the mission and spacecraft.
  • Webb Media Kit (download: 27MB pdf) - targeted for media, with links to mission resources and contacts, also contains a more detailed overview of the mission, launch, and spacecraft.
  • Webb Blog A frequently updated blog about all things Webb as we move toward launch and through commissioning. We will add posts weekly, every Thursday afternoon.
  • Compare Hubble, Webb, and Roman space telescopes (download: 7MB pdf)
  • Podcast: NASA's Curious Universe - Join us for a James Webb Space Telescope podcast mini-series as we explore the science, engineering, people, and launch of this historic mission through audio storytelling.
  • #UnfoldTheUniverse Art Challenge - Get inspired and show us what you think Webb will discover in our new art challenge. Post your art and tag us with #UnfoldTheUniverse.
  • Webb STEAM Day - You are invited to NASA’s Webb Space Telescope STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, & Math) Day virtual interactive event. Registration is FREE and open to the public! The program will feature presentations from Sept. 30 2021 through June 2022. Enjoy!
  • Media: Interview Requests etc
  • Where Is Webb? Follow the schedule and current status of Webb on its journey to L2 orbit, its deployment, its commissioning and finally the release of its first images and the start of science operations. See Webb in 3d in a 3d solar system ( and compare it to Hubble and other spacecraft in 3d). The page constantly updates as Webb travels, deploys, cools to operating temperature and moves through its commissioning phases ultimately leading to the release of its first images.
  • Explore Webb's Deployment and Commissioning Sequence - Webb is the largest telescope ever launched into space. In the ~2 weeks after launch, Webb unfolds from its compact launch configuration into its operational configuration which is nearly the size of a tennis court. From that point, Webb moves through its commissioning phases leading up to the release of it's first images. Explore the entire process interactively and explore status updates, videos, blogs and more as it goes through each step.

Education & Activities:

Launch and Deployment :

Webb succcessfully launched on December 25, 2021 07:20am EST ( 2021-12-25 12:20 GMT/UTC) aboard an ESA Ariane 5 rocket from Europe's Spaceport located near Kourou, French Guiana.

    Reexperience the Launch:

  • Video: Short Launch Video
  • The control room at launch: Full Launch Broadcast Replay
  • Images: From packing shipping Webb, through launch prep and Launch
  • Webb Launch Info Packet - Concise "Need To Know" information on the mission and the launch.
  • Blog Posts About the Launch : 1 | 2
    (NOTE: blog posts appear most recent to oldest on each page, scroll to bottom to read chronologically)

    • Follow the Deployment & Commissioning

  • Where Is Webb? Follow the schedule and current status of Webb on its journey to L2 orbit, its deployment, its commissioning and finally the release of its first images and the start of science operations. See Webb in 3d in a 3d solar system ( and compare it to Hubble and other spacecraft in 3d). The page constantly updates as Webb travels, deploys, cools to operating temperature and moves through its commissioning phases ultimately leading to the release of its first images.
  • Explore Webb's Deployment and Commissioning Sequence - Webb is the largest telescope ever launched into space. In the ~2 weeks after launch, Webb unfolds from its compact launch configuration into its operational configuration which is nearly the size of a tennis court. From that point, Webb moves through its commissioning phases leading up to the release of it's first images. Explore the entire process interactively and explore status updates, videos, blogs and more as it goes through each step.
  • Blog Posts About the Deployment: 1 | 2 | 3
    (NOTE: blog posts appear most recent to oldest on each page, scroll to bottom to read chronologically)
  • Blog Posts Commissioning: 1 | 2 | 3 | Most Recent
    (NOTE: blog posts appear most recent to oldest on each page, scroll to bottom to read chronologically)
  • Read the Latest WEBB News
  • Stay Connected follow us on our social media channels:

Resources

  • Webb Fact Sheet (download: 2.5MB pdf) Brief facts about the mission and spacecraft.
  • Webb Media Kit (download: 27MB pdf) A more detailed look at the mission and spacecraft.
  • Webb Blog A frequently updated blog about all things Webb as we move toward launch and through commissioning. We will add posts weekly, every Thursday afternoon.
  • For Webb Outreach - Infrared Eyes on the Universe (PPT) ( English | Spanish ) Slide deck introducing the Science and Engineering of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope.
  • For Webb Outreach - Webb First Images Community Event Host Sites ( ~80MB : English | Spanish ) Slide deck for official Webb Community Host Sites to use for First Images celebration events on the day of the release.
  • Webb FAQs We've answered just about every question that's ever been asked. In our FAQs section you can drill down through our basic and detailed FAQs and Q&A sessions.
  • For Press : Contacts, Links, Images
  • News : News Features / Twitter Feed / News Archives
  • Webb Video and Animation Gallery from the the GSFC Visualization Studio.
  • Image Gallery List : our extensive collection of images of the development, build and launch of Webb Telescope and (and much more) on Flickr
  • Video : our extensive collection of Webb Telescope Youtube videos on our Youtube Channel
  • NASA TV
  • NASA.gov/live