On the morning of Tuesday, July 12th, the world was treated to the most detailed images of the universe taken by a telescope. A collection of merging galaxies, an exoplanet, and a deep field image show some of the familiar features from our galaxy.
A map that shows where these objects are located was shared by a space exploration ambassador. Tony Rice uploaded the map to the Space group on July 10th, two days before the image release day. Rice is an information security engineer for a telecommunications company and a solar system ambassador.
As you can see from the image above, the background of the stars is obtained by the Gaia Observatory. This image was the most detailed look at our universe and included the motions and velocities of over one billion stars. Rice explained that the other images were either taken by the Hubble Space Telescope or by an artist. The new images taken by the JWST have been more detailed and vivid. Rice anticipated as much as he said in the comments.
“[B]ase image is from the esa’s Gaia Galaxy Survey. Other images (except WASP 96-b which is an artist concept) are visible light images from Hubble. JWST’s infrared images should provide more much detail.”
Beyond their scientific value, what makes the JWST images so valuable is how they engage ordinary people. People are encouraged to learn more about astronomy, science, and the technologies that allow us to explore outside our planet. The deeper questions of "how did it all begin?" and "are we alone in the Universe?" inspire us to look further and ponder.
There is further reading on the forum r/space.
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