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James Webb Space Telescope

NASA's $10 billion observatory launched 2021; sees the universe's first stars 13.6 billion years ago

USA/ESA πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ 2021 Stars & Galaxies

Key Facts

  1. 1

    Launched 25 December 2021; positioned at L2 point 1.5 million km from Earth; $10 billion cost

  2. 2

    Observes in infrared (not visible light like Hubble); can see through dust clouds and the earliest universe

  3. 3

    First images (July 2022): deepest infrared image of the universe ever taken; confirmed first light galaxies from 300 million years after Big Bang

🌌 Did you know? JWST is so cold (βˆ’233Β°C) and sensitive it could detect the heat of a bumblebee on the Moon from Earth

Quick Reference

Category

Stars & Galaxies

Region

πŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ USA/ESA

Year / Era

2021

About

NASA's $10 billion observatory launched 2021