Teachable Moments: Webb Telescope Sees the Universe Like We've Never Seen It Before

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NASA’s newest space observatory, the James Webb Space Telescope, has returned its first set of images and spectra of five different targets – from exoplanets to galaxy clusters – revealing the universe in ways never before seen. These targets, selected by a team of experts, represent the start of the telescope's science operations and the beginning of our ability to see the universe in a whole new way.

Read on to learn more about what the space-based observatory’s images can tell us about the cosmos, how they were captured, and how to engage learners in the science and engineering behind the mission.

TEACHABLE MOMENT: WEBB SEES THE UNIVERSE LIKE NEVER BEFORE

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Portions of four of Webb's first images are shown side by side: A field of galaxies, a blue-and-brown area of star formation, a dying star that's cast off its gas and dust, and four prominent, bright white galaxies.