First Images from the James Webb Space Telescope

After more than 20 years of development, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) released the first images of the universe captured from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) this week. More than 20,000 people worked together across the country and with multiple international partners to bring about the JWST, 21 from the University of Arizona. The Webb Telescope uses four instruments to observe and capture images of the universe. Marcia Rieke, UA Regents Professor of Astronomy, serves as the Principal Investigator of the Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam), the telescope’s short wavelength imager, and George Rieke, UA Regents Professor of Astronomy at the Steward Observatory, is the science team lead for the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) which observes space at longer wavelengths.

 NASA hosted a reception on Capitol Hill to celebrate this incredible achievement and share these remarkable first images with lawmakers and staff. Associate Administrator of NASA’s Science Mission Directorate, Thomas Zurbuchen addressed the crowd and recognized the contributions of the University of Arizona to the success of the mission.