NASA will not share some of these images with the public until July 12, but astronomers have given us a taste of what to expect. NASA Deputy Managing Director Pam Milroy said the images of “First Light” “moved me as a scientist, as an engineer and as a human being.” The term “first light” generally refers to the first time a telescope was used for scientific observation after it has been tested and calibrated. It’s ready to go, said Thomas Zurbuchen, NASA’s head of science programs, during a news conference Wednesday. “It’s really hard not to look at the universe from a new perspective and not just a very personal moment,” he said. “It’s an emotional moment when you see nature suddenly release some of its secrets. And I want you to imagine it and look forward to it. ” The European Space Agency’s Ariane 5 rocket launched the James Webb Space Telescope into space on Christmas Day 2021. In the months that followed, the telescope – considered the most powerful telescope in the world – opened its solar shield and traveled nearly a million miles from Earth. As the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, Webb took nearly two decades to design, build and test before launch. “Reader. Outrageously humble coffee lover. Future teen idol. TV nerd. Explorer. Organizer. Twitter lover. Fanatic of bad music.”
