NASA drops the first color images of the universe

The photos, taken from the James Webb telescope, are the deepest view of the universe yet captured.

Rolling back the years

Decades in the making, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is the GOAT of space telescopes. 100 times more powerful than the Hubble telescope, JWST has just broken new ground when it comes to looking deep into space.

The first-ever color images of the universe have been taken, showing full detail. The really amazing thing here though is just how far back in history the photo goes. It’s believed the universe is about 13.8 billion years old. This photo looks back 13 and a half billion years. We’re literally on the brink of seeing the very origin of the universe.

Reach for the stars

It’s fair to say that taking photos of these earliest origins is an impressive feat. But JWST faced no shortage of challenges even getting off the ground. The project was a collaboratively funded development, shared between NASA, Canadian and European space agencies. As you can imagine, keeping funding appetites high is always a bit of an effort.

But it’s up there and taking photos fit for computer backgrounds. What an achievement. And as for poor old Hubble? Well, every dog has its day.