An annotated view of the Chameleon I molecular cloud with the protostar Ced 110 IRS 4 illuminating the center and background stars marked. Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, and M. Zamani (ESA/Webb); Science: F. Sun (Steward Observatory), Z. Smith (Open University), and the Ice Age ERS Team.

ESA/Webb (@esa.int) images (Jan 23, 2023)

The Chameleon I dark molecular cloud shines in infrared light, revealing young protostar Ced 110 IRS 4 and diverse ices. #NASAWebb #NIRCam

esawebb.org/images/weic2303b/

An orange-red cloud representing Herbig-Haro 49/50 with a background spiral galaxy, illustrating star formation and jet activity. Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI

ESA/Webb (@esa.int) images (Mar 24, 2025)

Herbig-Haro 49/50 showcases the intricate outflow from a young star, revealing the effects of its jets on the surrounding environment, captured by #NASAWebb.

esawebb.org/images/weic2506b/

An image of the merging galaxy pair II ZW 96, featuring chaotic shapes and bright star-forming regions, with many background galaxies visible. Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, L. Armus, A. Evans

ESA/Webb (@esa.int) images (Nov 30, 2022)

The merging galaxy pair II ZW 96, located 500 million light-years away, is revealed in stunning detail by #NASAWebb.

esawebb.org/images/potm2211a/

Infrared images of Titan showing methane clouds at varying altitudes captured by the James Webb Space Telescope and the W.M. Keck Observatories. Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Keck Observatory

ESA/Webb (@esa.int) images (May 14, 2025)

Infrared images from #NASAWebb and #Keck show methane clouds on Titan at different altitudes, taken on July 11 and 14, 2023.

esawebb.org/images/weic2511b/

Side-by-side comparison of Saturn observed at different wavelengths and times show how differently it appears in infrared, on the left, versus visible light, on the right. Left image is labeled Saturn, Webb Infrared Light, November 29, 2024. Right image is labeled Saturn, Hubble Visible Light, August 22, 2024. In infrared, Saturn has horizontal bands, with bands at the north and south poles appearing darker orange and lightening to tan as they approach the equator. The north and south poles glow a greenish-grey. The rings appear in an icy neon white. White dots, representing several of Saturn’s moons, are labeled Janus, Dione, and Enceladus. In visible, Saturn’s horizontal bands appear pale yellow, with some bands towards the north and south pole having a light blue hue. The rings appear bright white, glowing slightly less than Webb’s infrared image. White dots, representing several of Saturn’s moons, are labeled Janus, Mimas, and Epimetheus.

New views of Saturn from #NASAWebb and Hubble reveal storms, waves, glowing rings, and subtle cloud bands, all in one of the most complete portraits yet.

Different wavelengths of light, one comprehensive story: https://news.stsci.edu/4sopfx4

NIRCam image of star cluster IC 348 showing three brown dwarfs and reflection nebulae. Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, and K. Luhman (Penn State University) and C. Alves de Oliveira (European Space Agency)

ESA/Webb (@esa.int) images (Dec 13, 2023)

The NIRCam image of star cluster IC 348 showcases three newly discovered brown dwarfs and stunning reflection nebulae. #NASAWebb

esawebb.org/images/weic2331b/

An image of Messier 106, a nearby spiral galaxy, showcasing its bright central region and swirling arms of gas and dust. Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, J. Glenn

ESA/Webb (@esa.int) images (Aug 9, 2024)

Explore Messier 106, a nearby spiral galaxy with an active supermassive black hole and unique features, captured by the #NASAWebb #JamesWebb.

esawebb.org/images/potm2407a/

Scores of glowing dots and specks of light, in white and golden hues, are set against the blackness of space. The specks range from relatively large oval galaxies with discernible spiral arms, and glowing balls with gleaming diffraction spikes, to minuscule pinpoints of distant light. Several of those pinpoints have been circled as members of a distant protocluster. Layered onto the center is a neon blue cloud, which represents hot X-ray gas. A thin white square surrounds the blue cloud. The X-rays from the distant protocluster located within this box also appear as points of light.

Using #NASAWebb and the Chandra X-ray Observatory, astronomers spotted a galaxy cluster starting to form 1 to 2 billion years earlier than was previously thought possible, soon after the big bang: https://s.si.edu/3LTyvJH

A dense field of stars set against the black background of space with clouds of gas and dust billowing across. The yellow-green clouds of gas are patchy and wispy toward the edges of the frame and become denser and brighter toward the center. Small hazy blobs of red, some with white centers, are scattered across the scene. Bright galaxies of various shapes and sizes shine through the gas and stars. Some of the stars appear a bit larger than the rest with eight-pointed diffraction spikes, including two foreground stars in the lower-right corner.

Thinking about the past? Astronomers do too! #NASAWebb imaged irregular galaxy NGC 6822, which is thought to be similar to those in the early universe. NGC 6822 could help scientists learn about the life cycles of stars and dust. Credit: ESA, NASA, CSA, M. Meixner.

#NASAWebb has revolutionized our ability to study the formation and growth of new planetary systems, some with similarities to our own.

⏰ TONIGHT at 7 p.m. ET: Join us for a conversation on what we’ve learned about young planetary systems and their supply of ingredients needed for life.

Artifacts From NASA's Webb, Parker Solar Probe on View at Smithsonian - NASA Science A testing replica of the “backbone” of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope and a full-scale model of the agency's Parker Solar Probe are now on permanent display at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly,...

A testing replica of the “backbone” of #NASAWebb is now on permanent display at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia.

Webb’s Optical Telescope Element Pathfinder helped engineers prepare the largest space telescope ever built.

Illustration of Webb's hexagonal mirror segments each showing a different space image centered on a starry background.

The Space Telescope Science Institute has announced the selection of 254 James Webb Space Telescope Cycle 5 General Observer programs: https://news.stsci.edu/4bneuDE 🔭 🧪 #NASAWebb

AAS Announces 2026 Shapley Lecturers | American Astronomical Society The AAS has selected 21 astronomers who will form the 2026 cohort of AAS Shapley Visiting Lecturers. These lecturers will visit a number of schools and community institutions across the US to share th...

STScI is pleased to announce that Dr. Quyen Hart, project scientist for #NASAWebb science communications at STScI, and Dr. Heidi Hammel, vice president for science at @aura-astronomy.bsky.social, have been selected for the 2026 cohort of @aas.org's Shapley Visiting Lecturers.

A globular star cluster. Numerous stars are spread throughout on a black background. Many appear as bright white stars, but there are a few larger orange stars. The concentration of stars in the center creates a bright white glow that becomes more diffuse further out.

NGC 6440 is a crowded cluster of stars, making it hard to resolve the makeup of separate stars. The sensitivity and resolution of #NASAWebb recently identified variations in the helium and oxygen amounts between stars.

Credit: ESA, NASA, CSA, P. Freire; M. Cadelano, C. Pallanca.

#NASAWebb has revolutionized our ability to study the formation and growth of new planetary systems, some with similarities to our own.

⏰ On Wednesday, March 18, join us for a conversation on what we’ve learned about young planetary systems and their supply of ingredients needed for life.

At center right is a compact star cluster composed of luminous red, blue, and white points of light. Faint jets with clumpy, diffuse material extend in various directions from the bright cluster. Above and to the right is a smaller cluster of stars. Translucent red wisps of material stretch across the scene. Background galaxies are scattered across this swath of space, appearing as small blue-white and orange-white dots or fuzzy, thin disks. The background of space, which is easiest to see in the top-left corner, is black.

The Extreme Outer Galaxy—the region more than 58,000 light-years from the Milky Way’s galactic center—is pretty extreme! 😎 #NASAWebb observed a portion of Digel Cloud 2, revealing newly formed stars that are expelling jets of material from their poles: https://bit.ly/4qpOdu4

Exploring the boundless expanse of the universe — and the self  - News For alumna Liliana Flores, taking an Intro to Astronomy course on a whim changed the entire trajectory of her education. 

For alumna Liliana Flores, taking an Intro to Astronomy course on a whim changed the entire trajectory of her education. Read more below.
#womeninstem #IWD2026 #NASAWebb

www.uwb.edu/news/2026/02/12/explorin...

A grayscale pixelated image displaying a detection of astronomical data. A red circle marks one position near the top center, while a green dashed circle marks another position lower down, also near the center, that has a large white dot at its center. A small legend at the bottom-left labels these annotations: a red line for the “Position assuming lunar impact” and a green dashed line for the “Observed position of 2024 YR4”.

Asteroid 2024 YR4 will not impact the Moon, according to data from a recent observation by #NASAWebb. Learn why Webb plays a crucial role in planetary defense: https://go.nasa.gov/40bCbtL

The Solar System cookbook: What is Webb revealing about how solar systems like ours come to be? The James Webb Space Telescope has revolutionized our ability to study the formation and growth of new planetary systems, some with similarities to our own and others very different. Join Dr. Klaus Pontoppidan and Dr. Chris Britt for a conversation on t...

#NASAWebb has revolutionized our ability to study the formation and growth of new planetary systems, some with similarities to our own.

On March 18 (7 p.m. ET), join us for a conversation on what we’ve learned about young planetary systems and their supply of ingredients needed for life.

Learning about the TRAPPIST-1 system—an environment composed of seven rocky planets orbiting a red dwarf star—has been an ongoing endeavor. And now #NASAWebb is expanding the scientific story in exciting and new ways: https://bit.ly/4kH9X3i

Side-by-side images of the same nebula show how differently it appears in near-infrared, on the left, versus mid-infrared light, on the right. Left image is labeled NIRCam and the right is labeled MIRI. In near-infrared, the nebula’s outer bubble has a white edge and its inner clouds are orange, with a distinct dark lane cutting vertically through the center. Stars and background galaxies appear around the nebula and through the outer bubble. In mid-infrared, the outer bubble has a bluish tint and there is more material in the inner clouds, which are colored off-white. The vertical dark lane is still present but more interrupted and covered by the clouds. Material appears to be erupting out the top of the nebula, and this effect is mirrored to a lesser degree at the bottom, opposite end.

ICYMI: Astronomers are losing their minds over #NASAWebb’s latest images of the very brainy-looking nebula PMR 1. Its distinctive form is the result of a dying star expelling its outer layers: science.nasa.gov/missions/webb/nasas-webb... 🔭 🧪

A spiral galaxy with a bright supermassive black hole. The galaxy appears cloudy white with orange-red regions filled with stars that spiral outward from the bright center. A large eight-pronged diffraction pattern emanates from the central black hole. Many orange and red stars and galaxies are strewn about. The background of space is black.

Galaxy NGC 7469 has one of the most studied black holes in the universe. #NASAWebb’s resolution and sensitivity has made it easier to study the large amount of dust and compact nature of the region.

Credit: ESA, NASA, CSA.

“Braaains!” Like zombies on the hunt, the Spitzer and #NASAWebb infrared space telescopes went looking for brains in space and captured these uncanny images of nebula PMR 1. A dying star is creating the nebula by expelling its outer layers: https://go.nasa.gov/3MJuY0U

A nebula appears like a transparent bubble with a white edge, inside which are two hemispheres of orange clouds being blown out from the center, split by a dark vertical lane, giving the overall appearance of a see-through skull with a brain inside, as seen from above. A few stars appear with eight points, and small background galaxies can be seen around and through the outer bubble.

Astronomers are losing their minds over #NASAWebb’s latest images of the very brainy-looking nebula PMR 1. Its distinctive form is the result of a dying star expelling its outer layers: https://news.stsci.edu/4tVQccE 🔭 🧪

Astronomers have used #NASAWebb—most powerful infrared telescope to date—to search for brown dwarfs at very low masses in a nearby nebula that contains newborn stars.

Join Dr. Kevin Luhman (Penn State) for a discussion on the surprising aspect of these new brown dwarfs TONIGHT at 7 p.m. ET. 🔭

An image labeled “SN 2025 p h t in NGC 1637, Hubble W F C 3 2024 + Webb NIRCam 2024”. The majority of the image shows a face-on spiral galaxy speckled with myriad blue and red stars. The yellowish core of the galaxy forms a fuzzy oval tilted to the upper right. About halfway from the core to the edge of the image at about 4 o’clock, a small region is outlined with a white box. A shaded, nearly transparent white triangle extends to a pullout at upper right labeled “before explosion”, with short lines forming a crosshair that points to a red star at the center. Below this are three more square images, all with crosshairs at the same location. 1) Hubble August 2024, with nothing visible in the crosshairs, 2) Webb October 2024, with a red star in the crosshairs, 3) Hubble July 2025, with a blue supernova in the crosshairs.

A star has died! For the first time, astronomers have used #NASAWebb to identify which specific star exploded as a supernova. The star—located in galaxy NGC 1637—was a red supergiant surrounded by so much dust that it was invisible to Hubble: https://news.stsci.edu/4alt51V

#NASAWebb provided the first vertical view of Uranus's ionosphere, revealing auroras shaped by its tilted magnetic field: https://esawebb.org/news/weic2602

Astronomers have used #NASAWebb—most powerful infrared telescope to date—to search for brown dwarfs at very low masses in a nearby nebula that contains newborn stars.

Join Dr. Kevin Luhman (Penn State) for a discussion on the surprising aspect of these new brown dwarfs on Feb. 24, at 7 p.m. ET. 🔭

A cluster of stars inside a large nebula of gas and dust. The gas and dust are predominantly bright red and wispy, and are clumped along the left and bottom corners. Other clouds, deeper in the cluster behind many of the stars, appear pale pink toward center-right. The stars are concentrated in the top half of the image and are mostly small, bright white and eight-pointed. They cast blue light over the bulk of the scene. A few stars with very long spikes surrounding them lie in the foreground.

#NASAWebb uncovered the full population of brown dwarfs (objects more massive than Jupiter but smaller than stars) in star cluster Westerlund 2. Many of our Milky Way galaxy's hottest, brightest, and most massive stars also exist in this region.

Credit: ESA, NASA, CSA.

In more than three years, #NASAWebb has “supercharged” what astronomers can learn about star formation—reshaping what we know with its sharp near- and mid-infrared observations.

Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI. 🔭 🧪