James Webb Space Telescope images offer insight into the beginning of the universe

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A star cluster in the Small Magellanic Cloud, captured by the James Webb Space Telescope, can tell us more about Cosmic Noon (NASA).

A star cluster in the Small Magellanic Cloud, captured by the James Webb Space Telescope, can tell us more about Cosmic Noon (NASA).

The James Webb Space Telescope has captured images of a field of space that can tell us more about the formation of the universe.

This field is the dwarf galaxy NGC 246, located 200,000 light-years from Earth in the Small Magellanic Cloud.

It is filled with clouds of dust and hydrogen, precursors to the formation of stars and planets.

“We’re seeing the building blocks not just of stars, but potentially planets as well,” says European Space Agency researcher Guido De Marchi.

Great images from the James Webb Space Telescope

Nasa has released the first images from the world's most advanced space telescope, the James Webb Space Telescope, on the Piccadilly Lights display in London. Experts say early observations are expected to change the face of astronomy forever (PA)

Nasa has released the first images from the world’s most advanced space telescope, the James Webb Space Telescope, on the Piccadilly Lights display in London. Experts say early observations are expected to change the face of astronomy forever (PA)

The dawn of a new era in astronomy began when the world first looked at all the features of the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope (ESA/Webb/AFP via Getty Images).

The dawn of a new era in astronomy began when the world first looked at all the features of the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope (ESA/Webb/AFP via Getty Images).

The bright star at the center of NGC 3132 stands out when imaged in near-infrared light by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and plays a supporting role in shaping the surrounding nebula. A second star, barely visible in the lower left along one of the diffraction spikes of the bright stars, is the source of the nebulae. It has released at least eight times the gas and dust over thousands of years (NASA)

The bright star at the center of NGC 3132 stands out when imaged in near-infrared light by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and plays a supporting role in shaping the surrounding nebula. A second star, barely visible in the lower left along one of the diffraction spikes of the bright stars, is the source of the nebulae. It has released at least eight times the gas and dust over thousands of years (NASA)

Someone takes video of giant screens showing images taken by the James Webb Space Telescope in Times Square (AFP via Getty Images)

Someone takes video of giant screens showing images taken by the James Webb Space Telescope in Times Square (AFP via Getty Images)

The mountains and valleys adorned with twinkling stars are actually the edge of a nearby, young, star-forming region in the Carina Nebula (Getty Images/2022 NASA) named NGC 3324.

The mountains and valleys adorned with twinkling stars are actually the edge of a nearby, young, star-forming region in the Carina Nebula (Getty Images/2022 NASA) named NGC 3324.

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope reveals the Stephans Quintet, a visual group of five galaxies, in a new light (Getty Images)

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope reveals the Stephans Quintet, a visual group of five galaxies, in a new light (Getty Images)

Images taken by the James Webb Space Telescope are shown on displays at Times Square (AFP via Getty Images)

Images taken by the James Webb Space Telescope are shown on displays at Times Square (AFP via Getty Images)

President Biden previews the first color Image from the Webb Space Telescope (Getty Images via NASA)

President Biden previews the first color Image from the Webb Space Telescope (Getty Images via NASA)

The 'deepest' and most detailed picture of the universe ever (PA Media)

The ‘deepest’ and most detailed picture of the universe ever (PA Media)

Images taken by the James Webb Space Telescope are displayed on screens in Times Square (AFP via Getty Images)

Images taken by the James Webb Space Telescope are displayed on screens in Times Square (AFP via Getty Images)

Images released by Nasa show a side-by-side comparison of observations of the Southern Ring Nebula from the Webb Telescope (AP) in near-infrared light on the left and mid-infrared light on the right.

Images released by Nasa show a side-by-side comparison of observations of the Southern Ring Nebula from the Webb Telescope (AP) in near-infrared light on the left and mid-infrared light on the right.

These conditions are comparable to the Cosmic Noon conditions, when the universe is between two and three billion years old. It is currently estimated to be 13.7 billion years old.

A view of a younger universe

Cosmic Noon was a powerful period for star formation. “In a galaxy during Cosmic Noon, there wouldn’t be an NGC 346 like the Small Magellanic Cloud does; It will have thousands of star-forming regions like this one, says lead researcher Universities Space Research Association astronomer Margaret Meixner.

“But even though NGC 346 is currently the only large rapidly forming star-forming cluster in its galaxy, it offers us a wonderful opportunity to investigate conditions occurring at Cosmic Noon.”

“Since the Small Magellanic Cloud has a galaxy-like environment during Cosmic Noon, it’s possible that rocky planets formed earlier in the universe than we thought,” explains De Marchi.

The colored swirls seen in the telescope’s images are clouds of gas. The pink springs are energized hydrogen that can be up to 10,000°C hot, according to NASA. The orange shapes are much denser molecular hydrogen, as cold as -200 °C.

These images were released a day after the James Webb Space Telescope discovered an Earth-sized planet just 41 light-years away.

The first images taken using the telescope were released in July 2022, about six months after reaching its working position in the sun’s orbit, about a million miles from Earth. It can see faint infrared light from distant galaxies that have traveled for more than 13 billion years, at a time when the universe was in its infancy.

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