In the run-up to the long-awaited color images, the American agency is already making us happy with a very good test photo.

We are only days away from NASA releasing the first color images from the James Webb space telescope. They promise to be insane images that will ‘definitely deliver a wow’, the US agency assured us earlier. And for those who can’t wait, we have good news. Because before we can marvel at the real work in a few days, NASA is already serving us a foretaste.

Test photo

In the run-up to the long-awaited color images, the American agency is already making us happy with a very good test photo. This test photo can be admired in all its glory below. The statue was manufactured in May, made using Webb’s so-called ‘Fine Guidance Sensor‘ which was tested at the time.

The breathtaking image captured by James Webb’s Fine Guidance Sensor. Image: NASA, CSA and the FGS team

The photo is the result of 72 shots taken in 32 hours. And while James Webb wasn’t necessarily supposed to capture fuzzy objects, he still managed to immortalize extremely faint celestial objects on screen. It therefore shows that the Fine Guidance Sensor – even unplanned – is capable of producing stunning images of the cosmos.

Deepest Image

The bright star on the right edge is a star named 2MASS 16235798+2826079. However, this image only shows a handful of stars, the other ‘spots’ are thousands of faint galaxies. Some of these galaxies are in the nearby Universe, but the vast majority are galaxies staggeringly distant. “When this image was taken, I was very excited to see so clearly all the detailed structures in these fuzzy galaxies,” said NASA’s Neil Rowlands. The photo is therefore one of the deepest images of the universe that has been made to date.

Primary target

Although the image is a fine piece of work by the Fine Guidance Sensor, taking pictures isn’t even his primary goal. The Fine Guidance Sensor in particular ensures that it can remain focused on the objects to be studied for a long time. In short, the instrument ensures that the telescope can see its mission objectives well and sharply. The images that the Fine Guidance Sensor are usually not preserved, partly because of the limited communication bandwidth between L2 (the point from which the telescope must unravel the secrets of the cosmos) and the earth. But during one of James Webb’s tests in May, the team concluded that because of enough available bandwidth, it might still be possible to send the photos to Earth.

Crucial

The Fine Guidance Sensor will play a vital role in James Webb’s mission. Thus, it is the only instrument that will be used during each observation. Incidentally, the Fine Guidance Sensor also plays an important role in tuning Webb’s optics. And from now on, the instrument will continue to guide the telescope to its target, maintaining the precision Webb needs to make groundbreaking discoveries about stars, exoplanets and galaxies, among other things.

preview

The photo shows what we can expect from James Webb when he actually starts his scientific observations. Plus, it’s a preview of what the telescope’s scientific instruments will be studying in the coming weeks, months and years. “The faintest blobs in this image are exactly the kinds of fuzzy galaxies that Webb will be examining in his first year of scientific operations,” said team member Jane Rigby.

NASA is creating high expectations with the images. Because if this instrument is capable of unintentionally delivering all such fantastic photos, what can we expect from the planned color photos? We will know in a few days!