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Webb Space Telescope Sends New Images to Scientists on Planet Earth

NASA has finally revealed the first set of beautiful images taken from a new space telescope, the James Webb Space Telescope. The first picture from the Space Telescope was a plethora of distant galaxies that go deeper than scientists have ever seen. NASA says the new Webb Telescope will eventually replace the Hubble Telescope. Some of Webb’s images show areas of the universe Hubble has already studied, and some show areas Hubble could not reach.

Webb used infrared light which allowed scientists to obtain a clearer images and show places they have not yet studied. NASA administrator Bill Nelson said, “Every image is a new discovery and each will give humanity a view of the universe that we’ve never seen before.” In the new images, astronomers are looking for two nebulae: the Southern Ring Nebula and the Carina Nebula. They are also looking for five galaxies, known as Stephan’s Quintet, as well as the recently discovered gas planet called WASP-96b.

The strong telescope launched last December from French Guiana in South America and reached its final destination one million miles away in January. The telescope contains many requirements that must be met it in order to take pictures. For example, the telescope uses mirrors to focus its view on spots in space, so these mirrors have to be precisely aligned to function. Webb uses infrared detectors that operate in cold enough conditions to be able to use the telescope in space. By using Webb, scientists are able to see back in time, as lightyears represent the amount of time it takes for a celestial body’s light to reach Earth.

The images that were taken from the Webb Telescope were put out at NASA's Goddard Space Center, leaving scientists eager to see new discoveries.

[Sources: Associated Press; Madison.com; NASA]

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