NASA on Tuesday unveiled a new batch of images from its new powerful space telescope, including a foamy blue and orange shot of a dying star.
The first image from the $10 billion James Webb Space Telescope was released Monday at the White House B次元官网网址� that went deeper into the cosmos than humanity has ever seen.
The four additional photos released Tuesday included more cosmic beauty shots.
With one exception, the latest images showed parts of the universe seen by other telescopes. But WebbB次元官网网址檚 sheer power, distant location off Earth and use of the infrared light spectrum showed them in new light.
B次元官网网址淓very image is a new discovery and each will give humanity a view of the humanity that weB次元官网网址檝e never seen before,B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址� NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said Tuesday, rhapsodizing over images showing B次元官网网址渢he formation of stars, devouring black holes.B次元官网网址�
WebbB次元官网网址檚 use of the infrared light spectrum allows the telescope to see through the cosmic dust and B次元官网网址渟ee light from faraway light from the corners of the universe,B次元官网网址� he said.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e really changed the understanding of our universe,B次元官网网址� said European Space Agency director general Josef Aschbacher.
The European and Canadian space agencies joined NASA in building the powerful telescope.
On tap Tuesday:
B次元官网网址� Southern Ring Nebula, which is sometimes called B次元官网网址渆ight-burst.B次元官网网址� About 2,500 light-years away, it shows an expanding cloud of gas surrounding a dying star. A light-year is 5.8 trillion miles.
B次元官网网址� Carina Nebula, one of the bright stellar nurseries in the sky, about 7,600 light-years away.
B次元官网网址� Five galaxies in a cosmic dance, 290 million light-years away. StephanB次元官网网址檚 Quintet was first seen 225 years ago in the constellation Pegasus.
B次元官网网址� A blueish giant planet called WASP-96b. ItB次元官网网址檚 about the size of Saturn and is 1,150 light-years away. A gas planet, itB次元官网网址檚 not a candidate for life elsewhere but a key target for astronomers.
The images were released one-by-one at an event at NASAB次元官网网址檚 Goddard Space Center that included cheerleaders with pompoms the color of the telescopeB次元官网网址檚 golden mirrors.
The worldB次元官网网址檚 biggest and most powerful space telescope rocketed away last December from French Guiana in South America. It reached its lookout point 1 million miles (1.6 million kilometers) from Earth in January. Then the lengthy process began to align the mirrors, get the infrared detectors cold enough to operate and calibrate the science instruments, all protected by a sunshade the size of a tennis court that keeps the telescope cool.
Webb is considered the successor to the highly successful, but aging Hubble Space Telescope.
B次元官网网址擲eth Borenstein, The Associated Press
