James Webb Telescope Takes Super Sharp View of Early Cosmos

The first full-color image from the new James Webb Space Telescope has been released, and it is spectacular. The image is said to be the most detailed and deep infrared view of the Universe to date, containing light from galaxies that has taken billions of years to reach us. During a White House briefing, US President Joe Biden was shown the image.

Nasa is set to release more debut images from James Webb in a global presentation on Tuesday. "These images will remind the world that America can do big things, and they will remind the American people - especially our children - that nothing is beyond our capability," President Biden said.

"We can see possibilities no-one has ever seen before. We can go places no-one has ever gone before." The $10bn James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), launched on 25 December last year, is billed as the successor to the famous Hubble Space Telescope.

It will make all sorts of observations of the sky but has two overarching goals. One is to take pictures of the very first stars to shine in the Universe more than 13.5 billion years ago; the other is to probe far-off planets to see if they might be habitable. The image unveiled before President Biden showcases Webb's capabilities to pursue the first of these objectives.