On 12 July 2022 NASA released the first full-colour images from the James Webb Space Telescope, including a deep field of the galaxy cluster SMACS 0723 crowded with thousands of galaxies, some distorted by gravitational lensing, and a spectrum showing water vapour in the atmosphere of a distant planet. The telescope's infrared eyes pierce dust, revealing details of star formation like the Carina Nebula's 'cosmic cliffs'. Within months it found galaxies that existed less than 400 million years after the Big Bang, earlier than theorists expected.
Before and after
- 22 June 2022June 2022 Afghanistan earthquake
- 27 June 2022Kremenchuk shopping mall attack
- 8 July 2022Assassination of Shinzō Abe
- 8 July 2022Death of Shinzō Abe
- 12 July 2022The James Webb Space Telescope releases its first images
- 22 July 2022Black Sea Grain Initiative
- 29 July 2022Olenivka prison explosion
- 31 July 2022Crimea attacks
- from 2 August 2022 to 3 August 20222022 visit by Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan
More in Universe & space
- 30 September 1975Discovery of Themisto
- 24 May 1981Discovery of Larissa
- 20 January 1986Discovery of Ophelia
- 19 February 1986Launch of Mir
- 18 September 1989Discovery of Naiad
- 20 November 1998Launch of International Space Station
The era
This moment belongs to the Contemporary world (1945 CE to today), the world since 1945. You can also browse everything in the 21st century.