After waiting over six months for the James Webb Space Telescope's (JWST) first photos to appear, we're all a bit impatient to see what the new telescope has captured.
If the Hubble Space Telescope is anything to go by, we're in for a treat. Today, 12 July 2022, the JWST willrelease its very first full-colour images, following its launch in December and a series of calibration images.
Though Hubble's images were stunning, JWST is even more powerful, and so the images it produces should prove to be even better.
But when are they released, and how can we see them?
When are the JWST's first images released?
The very first JWST image was released 11 July 2022, by President Joe Biden. This sneak preview of the stunning images to come was called 'Webb's First Deep Field', and it is the deepest and highest-resolution infrared view of the Universe ever captured.
More images will be released during a press conference held byNASA, ESA and the Canadian Space Agency on 12 July 2022 at 3pm BST. The new images will be released one by one, and will be published on social media and on the space agencies' websites at the same time.
If you're feeling particularly impatient, then you can keep an eye on this countdown timer.
How can I watch the press conference?
The press conference will be live-streamed on NASA Live and ESA Web TV. As well as seeing the images, you'll get to hear from experts who will explain just what makes these images so exciting. The image will be released simultaneously on NASA's website.
Where can I see the images?
If you'd prefer just to see the images, you can see them on NASA's website as they're released. You can also follow NASA (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram) and ESA (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram) on social media and they'll pop up in your feed.
Can I download and use the images?
If you want to get involved and share these new images around, you're in luck. The JWST team are offering easy download links and allowed all texts, graphics and images to be used freely as long as you attribute it to NASA and the STScl.
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