# James Webb Space Telescope general discussion thread **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Tags:** science-math\ **Created:** [December 25, 2021, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-webb-space-telescope-general-discussion-thread/956624 "2021-12-25T13:18:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 29
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2022, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-webb-space-telescope-general-discussion-thread/956624/561 "2022-06-16T00:03:41Z")
NASA announces: First images to be released July 12. (I take this to mean the first “real”-ish images, as opposed to the “just testing” images we’ve seen so far.) Watch for them on Webb site, YouTube, and various other media. Some details in these pages: > **[The James Webb Space Telescope is finally ready to do science – and it’s...](https://www.rawstory.com/the-james-webb-space-telescope-is-finally-ready-to-do-science-and-its-seeing-the-universe-more-clearly-than-even-its-own-engineers-hoped-for/)** > > NASA is scheduled to release the first images taken by the James Webb Space Telescope on July 12, 2022. They’ll mark the beginning of the next era in astronomy as Webb – the largest space telescope ever built – begins collecting scientific data that... Also, this NASA page, which for some reason Discourse will not preview: [https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-invites-media-public-to-view-webb-telescope-s-first-images](https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-invites-media-public-to-view-webb-telescope-s-first-images) Schedule says images will be released at 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time, and will be viewable on [nasa.gov/webbfirstimages](http://nasa.gov/webbfirstimages) and on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and other places. (Sorry, I can’t copy the actual links to all those pages because of the latest Discourse updates, which have thoroughly broken copy-and-paste functions for older browsers.) ---
**Author:** ![kwintenstraler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kwintenstraler/32/10698_2.png) [@kwintenstraler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kwintenstraler)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2022, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-webb-space-telescope-general-discussion-thread/956624/562 "2022-06-29T12:45:24Z")
One of the James Webb Space Telescope’s four primary scientific instruments, known as the Near-Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph instrument ([NIRISS](https://jwst.nasa.gov/content/observatory/instruments/fgs.html)), has concluded its postlaunch preparations and is now ready for science. From [blogs.nasa.gov](http://blogs.nasa.gov) : [Webb’s NIRISS Ready to See Cosmos in Over 2,000 Infrared Colors – James Webb Space Telescope](https://blogs.nasa.gov/webb/2022/06/27/webbs-niriss-ready-to-see-cosmos-in-over-2000-infrared-colors/) ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2022, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-webb-space-telescope-general-discussion-thread/956624/563 "2022-06-29T13:06:12Z")
That’s great news! The NIRISS, along with the Fine Guidance Sensor (FGS) were the two major contributions of the Canadian Space Agency to the JWST. The FGS was first powered on in late January and has been fully operational since mid-February. ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2022, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-webb-space-telescope-general-discussion-thread/956624/564 "2022-06-29T13:39:49Z")
> [@kwintenstraler](#): > > and is now ready for science. Science is no good. I want PICTURES ! > Single Object Slitless Spectroscopy I read that wrong … ☹ ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [June 29, 2022, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-webb-space-telescope-general-discussion-thread/956624/565 "2022-06-29T18:29:57Z")
Some more teasing > **[NASA scientists say images from the Webb telescope nearly brought them to tears](https://arstechnica.com/science/2022/06/nasa-teases-extraordinary-images-captured-by-its-webb-telescope/)** > > Deep field images of the universe, exoplanet atmospheres, and more to be unveiled. Exoplanet atmospheres 🤩 Brian ---
**Author:** ![kwintenstraler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kwintenstraler/32/10698_2.png) [@kwintenstraler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kwintenstraler)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2022, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-webb-space-telescope-general-discussion-thread/956624/566 "2022-06-30T19:54:23Z")
And another one ready to go: The second of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s four primary scientific instruments, known as the Mid-Infrared instrument ([MIRI](https://webb.nasa.gov/content/observatory/instruments/miri.html)), has concluded its postlaunch preparations and is now ready for science. The [last MIRI mode](https://blogs.nasa.gov/webb/2022/05/12/seventeen-modes-to-discovery-webbs-final-commissioning-activities/) to be checked off was its coronagraphic imaging capability, which uses two different styles of masks to intentionally block starlight from hitting its sensors when attempting to make observations of the star’s orbiting planets. These customized masks allow for scientists to directly detect exoplanets and study dust disks around their host stars in a way that’s never been done With NIRISS and MIRI postlaunch commissioning activities concluded, the Webb team will continue to focus on checking off [the remaining two modes](https://webb.nasa.gov/content/webbLaunch/whereIsWebb.html) on its other instruments. NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, a partnership with ESA (European Space Agency) and CSA, will release its [first full-color images and spectroscopic data on July 12, 2022](https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2022/first-images-from-nasa-s-webb-space-telescope-coming-soon). ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2022, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-webb-space-telescope-general-discussion-thread/956624/567 "2022-07-01T01:15:13Z")
Yeah, thanks for letting us know you were brought to tears over the pictures that for some reason can’t be shown to the public. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2022, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-webb-space-telescope-general-discussion-thread/956624/568 "2022-07-01T02:06:08Z")
That’s a very unfair statement and seems to show that you haven’t thought this through very much. Releasing a raw image is very much like releasing any other kind of raw science data. It needs to be processed, evaluated, and a consensus reached on the inevitable areas of uncertainty. The release of important images or other data inevitably brings forth a cascade of questions from the media. The images need to be carefully described, and the questions answered. Otherwise, what the average Joe will see in many such pictures is just blips of light. At least they’re not waiting for papers to be published first, which often happens. The other part of this news is that they apparently have some initial spectroscopic data for exoplanet atmospheres. If anything, that data will need even more explaining. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2022, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-webb-space-telescope-general-discussion-thread/956624/569 "2022-07-01T02:43:46Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > That’s a very unfair statement and seems to show that you haven’t thought this through very much. Releasing a raw image is very much like releasing any other kind of raw science data. This doesn’t make sense. If they’re brought to tears by the images then the images are available. Nobody cares if it’s raw science data. It doesn’t need to be evaluated. Show us an image from Hubble next to one from the Webb so we can see how great it is. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2022, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-webb-space-telescope-general-discussion-thread/956624/570 "2022-07-01T02:56:32Z")
What brings an expert waiting for his whole career for this data, who understands data that wasn’t changed for public consumption, is not the same as what will bring Joe Public to tears. This is potentially a 20+ year mission that was a big investment of our space program and has the potential to wow the public and make them more curious about the universe and more supportive of science. You can wait a couple of weeks to see the images once they’ve made them ready. ---
**Author:** ![Bootb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19b73/32.png) [@Bootb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bootb)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2022, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-webb-space-telescope-general-discussion-thread/956624/571 "2022-07-01T03:21:27Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > This doesn’t make sense. If they’re brought to tears by the images then the images are available. Nobody cares if it’s raw science data. It doesn’t need to be evaluated. Show us an image from Hubble next to one from the Webb so we can see how great it is. And what if the raw data is not as visually impressive as processed Hubble images? Public support for such big science projects is tenuous enough as it is. Going off half-cocked could see public support drop significantly. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2022, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-webb-space-telescope-general-discussion-thread/956624/572 "2022-07-01T03:27:09Z")
Here you go. You can watch Dr Becky giddy as a schoolgirl over some leaked early data. [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/ndU4-xUiTps/maxresdefault.jpg "A sneak peek at MIRI data from the James Webb Space Telescope!") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndU4-xUiTps) ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2022, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-webb-space-telescope-general-discussion-thread/956624/573 "2022-07-01T03:34:10Z")
> [@Bootb](#): > > And what if the raw data is not as visually impressive as processed Hubble images? I guess that’s possible but saying the images bring you to tears infers they are visually impressive. > [@Bootb](#): > > Public support for such big science projects is tenuous enough as it is. Going off half-cocked could see public support drop significantly. That would be true if it breaks down 2 weeks from now but logically it’s going to be laying down years of great pictures. Nobody likes a tease. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2022, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-webb-space-telescope-general-discussion-thread/956624/574 "2022-07-01T03:44:46Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > I guess that’s possible but saying the images bring you to tears infers they are visually impressive. Someone working on the telescope is going to understand exactly how and why JWST’s images are better than, say, Hubble’s - but that may not be super obvious to the lay public. They may not be aware of the limitations and strengths of different sorts of optics and why this is so significant, and just showing them some raw JWST image versus a souped up for the public beautiful Hubble image might not create the same impression that it would for an expert. Obviously there’s also an emotional component to something you’ve been working on for years coming to fruition. Or maybe they really are just that impressive. But they’ll be impressive in 2 weeks, too, when the NASA PR machine feels comfortable releasing them. Part of the time delay in sharing these images are both in actually processing the images to be good for public consumption, and also thinking about how they’re going to do the outreach to explain to the public what’s so special about them. > [@Magiver](#): > > That would be true if it breaks down 2 weeks from now but logically it’s going to be laying down years of great pictures. First impressions are important. Just admit you’re being impatient and wait a couple of weeks to let them wow the public on their own terms. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2022, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-webb-space-telescope-general-discussion-thread/956624/575 "2022-07-01T04:58:56Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > Yeah, thanks for letting us know you were brought to tears . . . Seems like there’s confusion there in need of clarificating. **N9IWP** didn’t say that **N9IWP** was brought to tears, or even nearly so. **N9IWP** posted a link to an article with a headline saying that the Webb scientists were nearly brought to tears. Upon reading the actual article, it doesn’t even quite say that. _One_ scientist is quoted as saying he nearly cried. ---
**Author:** ![pjd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pjd/32/3009_2.png) [@pjd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pjd)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2022, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-webb-space-telescope-general-discussion-thread/956624/576 "2022-07-01T15:27:50Z")
Ok, just for you … here’s a sneaky preview … !! [https://i.ibb.co/Jk0Rx1c/JWST-first-picture.jpg](https://i.ibb.co/Jk0Rx1c/JWST-first-picture.jpg) 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2022, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-webb-space-telescope-general-discussion-thread/956624/577 "2022-07-01T15:32:21Z")
Made me cry! 😢 ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2022, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-webb-space-telescope-general-discussion-thread/956624/578 "2022-07-01T15:58:12Z")
I think I saw a 2. ---
**Author:** ![Borborygmi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/borborygmi/32/217_2.png) [@Borborygmi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Borborygmi)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2022, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-webb-space-telescope-general-discussion-thread/956624/579 "2022-07-01T17:00:52Z")
I can’t wait to see what details a little color enhancement will bring out! ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [July 1, 2022, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-webb-space-telescope-general-discussion-thread/956624/580 "2022-07-01T17:03:56Z")
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