James Webb Space Telescope
Webb is the premier observatory of the next decade, serving thousands of astronomers worldwide. It studies every phase in the history of our Universe.
Active Mission
Webb studies every phase in the history of our Universe, ranging from the first luminous glows after the Big Bang, to the formation of solar systems capable of supporting life on planets like Earth, to the evolution of our own Solar System. Webb launched on Dec. 25th 2021. It does not orbit around the Earth like the Hubble Space Telescope, it orbits the Sun 1.5 million kilometers (1 million miles) away from the Earth at what is called the second Lagrange point or L2.
Mission Type
Astrophysics
Partners
NASA/ESA/CSA
Launch
Dec 25, 2021
Arrival at L2
Jan 24, 2022
Key Facts
Premiere Telescope of Next Decade
extending the tantalizing discoveries of the Hubble Space Telescope.
Folding Design
So big it has to fold origami-style to fit in the rocket and will unfold like a “Transformer” in space.
1.5 Million km
Webb orbits the Sun 1.5 million kilometers from the Earth. (Hubble orbits 560 kilometers above the Earth.)
SPF 1 Million
Webb has a 5-layer sunshield that protects the telescope from the infrared radiation of the Sun, Earth, and Moon; like having sun protection of SPF 1 million.
Unprecedented Sensitivity
iIt will peer back in time over 13.5 billion years to see the first galaxies born after the Big Bang.in the ISS.
Featured Image
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope shows galaxy MoM-z14 as it appeared in the distant past, only 280 million years after the universe began in the big bang.
Image: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Rohan Naidu (MIT); Image Processing: Joseph DePasquale (STScI)
Featured Story
NASA Webb Pushes Boundaries of Observable Universe Closer to Big Bang
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has topped itself once again, delivering on its promise to push the boundaries of the…
Read the Story
Featured Webb Award
Jan 7, 2026
Webb Receives the SPIE 2026 George W. Goddard Award in Space and Airborne Optics
Awarded to Lee Feinberg, recognizing outstanding leadership through the design, integration, and delivery of optical systems that brought the objectives of the Webb and Hubble space telescopes into clear focus.
Latest News
The feed below isa mix of Webb Science Releases and associated images/videos, Webb Science Blogs, Webb press releases and articles tagged with "James Webb Space Telescope". To filter out everything except the Webb Science Releases (or Science Blogs) - simply select that filter check box. Webb Science Releases, images, videos and Webb's Science Blogs can also be filtered byWebb's four primary science themes.
Filter, Search and Sort Notes: Initial filtered results displayed below show all articles that match ANY of the filters for all dates. Once one or more filter options are checked , only articles that MATCH ANY (logical OR) of the checked filters are displayed within the date range selected. The MATCH ALL (logical AND) filter operator will reduce the matching set to only those articles that match ALL checked filters within the date range. The "Search Latest Content" boxsearches for the terms entered within the subset of filtered articles. You can alsosort the results by date in descending (newest first) or ascending (oldest first).
Filters
Webb: Transforming Our Understanding of Star Formation
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has “supercharged” what astronomers know about star formation with its sharp near- and mid-infrared observations.…
Feb 11, 2026
Video
NASA Telescopes Spot Surprisingly Mature Cluster in Early Universe
A new discovery captures the cosmic moment when a galaxy cluster – among the largest structures in the universe –…
Jan 28, 2026
Article
NASA Webb Pushes Boundaries of Observable Universe Closer to Big Bang
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has topped itself once again, delivering on its promise to push the boundaries of the…
Jan 28, 2026
Article
COSMOS Field MoM-z14 Galaxy (NIRCam Image)
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope shows galaxy MoM-z14 as it appeared in the distant past, only 280 million years after…
Jan 28, 2026
Image
COSMOS Field MoM-z14 Galaxy (NIRCam Compass Image)
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope shows galaxy MoM-z14 as it appeared in the distant past, only 280 million years after…
Jan 28, 2026
Image
NASA Reveals New Details About Dark Matter’s Influence on Universe
With the Webb telescope’s unprecedented sensitivity, scientists are learning more about dark matter’s influence on stars, galaxies, and even planets…
Jan 26, 2026
Article
NASA Webb Finds Young Sun-Like Star Forging, Spewing Common Crystals
Astronomers have long sought evidence to explain why comets at the outskirts of our own solar system contain crystalline silicates,…
Jan 21, 2026
Article
Protostar EC 53 in the Serpens Nebula (NIRCam Image)
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s 2024 NIRCam image shows protostar EC 53 circled. Researchers using new data from Webb’s MIRI…
Jan 21, 2026
Image
Silicate Crystallization and Movement Near Protostar EC 53 (Illustration)
This illustration represents half the disk of gas and dust surrounding the protostar EC 53. Stellar outbursts periodically form crystalline…
Jan 21, 2026
Image
Protostar EC 53 in the Serpens Nebula (NIRCam Compass Image)
This image of protostar EC 53 in the Serpens Nebula, captured by the James Webb Space Telescope’s Near Infrared Camera…
Jan 21, 2026
Image
Intricacies of Helix Nebula Revealed With NASA’s Webb
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has zoomed into the Helix Nebula to give an up-close view of the possible eventual…
Jan 20, 2026
Article
Helix Nebula (NIRCam)
This new image of a portion of the Helix Nebula from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope highlights comet-like knots, fierce…
Jan 20, 2026
Image
Helix Nebula Context (VISTA and Webb)
This image of the Helix Nebula from the Visible and Infrared Telescope for Astronomy (left) shows the full view of…
Jan 20, 2026
Image
Helix Nebula (NIRCam Compass Image)
This image of the Helix Nebula, captured by the NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) instrument on Webb, includes compass arrows, scale bar,…
Jan 20, 2026
Image
Observatory Comparison (Hubble/Spitzer/Webb)
This video compares images of the Helix Nebula from three NASA observatories: Hubble’s image in visible light, Spitzer’s infrared view,…
Jan 20, 2026
Video
Webb's Blog
Webb's Blog offers an insider's point of view covering a variety of topics. The feed below supports a deeper dive intoWebb's Blog which contains early release science (not yet peer reviewed) as well as Webb Mission Operations and Webb Engineering posts - you can filter on any/all of these post types as well as filter Webb Science Blogs byWebb's four primary science themes.
Filter, Search and Sort Notes: Initial filtered results displayed below show all articles that match ANY of the filters for all dates. Once one or more filter options are checked , only articles that MATCH ANY (logical OR) of the checked filters are displayed within the date range selected. The MATCH ALL (logical AND) filter operator will reduce the matching set to only those articles that match ALL checked filters within the date range. The "Search Latest Content" boxsearches for the terms entered within the subset of filtered articles. You can alsosort the results by date in descending (newest first) or ascending (oldest first).
Filters
NASA’s Webb Space Telescope Observes Interstellar Comet
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope observed interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS Aug. 6, with its Near-Infrared Spectrograph instrument. The research team has…
Aug 25, 2025
Blog
New Moon Discovered Orbiting Uranus Using NASA’s Webb Telescope
Editor’s Note: This post highlights data from Webb science in progress, which has not yet been through the peer-review process.…
Aug 19, 2025
Blog
NASA’s Webb Finds Possible ‘Direct Collapse’ Black Hole
Editor’s Note: This post highlights a combination of peer-reviewed results and data from Webb science in progress, which has not…
Jul 15, 2025
Blog
NASA’s Webb Observations Update Asteroid 2024 YR4’s Lunar Impact Odds
While asteroid 2024 YR4 is currently too distant to detect with telescopes from Earth, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope collected one…
Jun 5, 2025
Blog
How NASA’s Webb Telescope Supports Our Search for Life Beyond Earth
This artist’s concept shows what exoplanet K2-18 b could look like based on science data. K2-18 b, an exoplanet 8.6…
Apr 18, 2025
Blog
NASA’s Webb Finds Asteroid 2024 YR4 Is Building-Sized
Editor’s Note: This post highlights data from Webb science in progress, which has not yet been through the peer-review process. These…
Apr 2, 2025
Blog
NASA’s Webb Reveals the Ancient Surfaces of Trans-Neptunian Objects
Trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) are icy bodies ranging in size from Pluto and Eris (dwarf planets with diameters of about 1,500…
Feb 12, 2025
Blog
Monitoring Webb’s Mirrors for Optimal Optics
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope is the largest and most powerful telescope ever launched to space. Its mirror is composed…
Nov 8, 2024
Blog
Webb Researchers Discover Lensed Supernova, Confirm Hubble Tension
Editor’s Note: This post highlights data from Webb science in progress, which has not yet been through the peer-review process. Measuring…
Oct 1, 2024
Blog
Reconnaissance of Potentially Habitable Worlds with NASA’s Webb
Exoplanets are common in our galaxy, and some even orbit in the so-called habitable zone of their star. NASA’s James…
Jun 5, 2024
Blog
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope Finds Most Distant Known Galaxy
Editor’s Note: This post highlights data from Webb science in progress, which has not yet been through the peer-review process.…
May 30, 2024
Blog
NASA’s Webb Makes the Distant Universe Dream Come True
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope is delivering on its promise to explore the farthest reaches of the universe, looking back…
Apr 18, 2024
Blog
Supernova Encore: NASA’s Webb Spots a Second Lensed Supernova in a Distant Galaxy
Editor's Note: This post highlights data from Webb science in progress, which has not yet been through the peer-review process.…
Dec 21, 2023
Blog
Measuring the Distances to Galaxies With Space Telescopes
One of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope's science goals is to understand how galaxies in the early universe formed and…
Dec 6, 2023
Blog
NASA’s Webb Identifies Methane In an Exoplanet’s Atmosphere
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope observed the exoplanet WASP-80 b as it passed in front of and behind its host…
Nov 22, 2023
Blog
Latest 2026 Images
The image below is a SLIDESHOW. Hover over the image to see the image title and controls. Click the image to go to a detail page with more info and the ability to download the image at various resolutions (click the downward arrow icon in lower right corner).
More Webb Images
Webb Observation tracking TOOL
What is Webb Observing?
See current, upcoming and recent past observations scientists are making with the Webb Space Telescope. View details about each observation's science focus areas, the instruments used and more.
View the Tool
About
The Webb Mission
Webb is the premier observatory of the next decade, serving thousands of astronomers worldwide. It studies every phase in the history of our Universe, ranging from the first luminous glows after the Big Bang, to the formation of solar systems capable of supporting life on planets like Earth, to the evolution of our own Solar System.
Learn More
This is a photo of one of the James Webb Space Telescope's primary mirror segments coated with gold by Quantum Coating Incorporated. It's NOT a flight segment, it's the engineering design unit. The photo was taken at BATC by Drew Noel.
Photo by Drew Noel
About
Webb's Science Goals
The James Webb Space Telescope is a giant leap forward in our quest to understand the Universe and our origins. Webb is examining every phase of cosmic history: from the first luminous glows after the Big Bang to the formation of galaxies, stars, and planets to the evolution of our own solar system. Learn about the 4 main science themes for Webb.
Learn More
NASA’s Webb Captures Dying Star’s Final ‘Performance’ in Fine Detail
NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI
About
The Spacecraft
The Webb Space Telescope is the largest, most powerful and most complex telescope ever launched into space . It's design and development history stretches back before the Hubble Space Telescope was launched. Learn about the design, the major components and subsystems of Webb and see Webb in 3d in a 3d Solar System.
Learn More
About
The International Webb Team
Webb is for the world, and from the world. Thousands of skilled scientists, engineers and technicians from 14 countries (and more than 29 U.S. states, and Washington, D.C.) contributed to the design, build, test, integration, launch, commissioning and operations of Webb. It is a joint NASA/ESA/CSA mission. Assembly and testing of the mirror and instruments occurred at NASA Goddard (GSFC).
Learn More
A full disk view of the earth from GOES 16, GOES East on the vernal Equinox.
NOAA / NASA
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