![]() ![]() It blows my mind that we can see clouds on another world that is billions of miles away. Not only can you see the glorious rings, but you can also pick out high-flying methane clouds as bright streaks. The image captures the planet’s near-infrared glow in unprecedented detail. ![]() Nikk Ogasa, staff writer for physical sciences, says: There are so many awe-inspiring space images out there, but my favorite from this year was the James Webb Space Telescope’s heavenly shot of Neptune. NASA, ESA, CSA, STSCI, JOSEPH DEPASQUALE/STSCI It’s the first direct look at Neptune’s rings in more than 30 years. JWST’s close-up of Neptune, taken in 2022 Neptune and its rings glow in infrared light in this image from the James Webb Space Telescope. Though I’m lukewarm about sending people to do extraterrestrial exploration – I think the risks outweigh the scientific benefits – I have always been a sucker for imagining living on another world. That’s our robotic avatar on that planet, rolling around doing our work. You can see the rover and the landscape behind it. ![]() NASA’s Curiosity rover used a camera on its head and one on its robotic arm to create this selfie with Mont Mercou in March 2021. I feel similarly about the selfie images from the Mars rovers here’s NASA’s Curiosity rover at Mont Mercou in 2021. I can imagine my own feet in those gray craters, my own eyes looking back at my own Earth. And something about having the surface of the moon in the image gives me deep chills. She says: The you-are-there, sci-fi-but-it’s-real feeling of seeing Earth over the edge of the moon gets my imagination going. Lisa Grossman, astronomy writer, chose Apollo 8’s Earthrise as her top space image. “My colleagues and I are eager to see what Webb can do and what surprises await us with its unprecedented combination of sharpness and sensitivity.The Apollo 8 crew orbited the moon 10 times during late December of 1968, capturing this view of Earth. “Working on this mission has been one of the biggest highlights and most rewarding parts of my career,” says Macarena Garcia Marin, MIRI ESA Instrument Scientist. “As we now begin regular science operations, I know the European astronomical community cannot wait to see the results of the observing time they have won for Webb's first year.” “This is the start of a new era viewing the Universe and making exciting scientific discoveries with Webb,” says Günther Hasinger, ESA’s Director of Science. Today’s images and spectra reveal the capabilities of all four of Webb’s state-of-the-art scientific instruments and confirm that the observations ahead will revolutionise our understanding of the cosmos and our own origins. “I want to thank everyone involved with commissioning of this magnificent telescope and the delivery of these first incredible products from Webb for making this historic day a reality.” “These first images and spectra from Webb are a huge celebration of the international collaboration that made this ambitious mission possible,” says Josef Aschbacher, ESA Director General. I can’t wait to see the discoveries that we uncover – the team is just getting started!” ![]() We take dreams and turn them into reality for the benefit of humanity. “The Webb team’s incredible success is a reflection of what NASA does best. “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. "Today, we present humanity with a groundbreaking new view of the cosmos from the James Webb Space Telescope – a view the world has never seen before,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. ![]()
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