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Stunning Selections: Top Picks from the James Webb Space Telescope’s Breathtaking Gallery

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The James Webb Space Telescope, positioned a million miles away, enables scientists to explore our universe in ways previously deemed impossible — along with producing breathtaking images in the process.

The telescope is managed from an unassuming concrete structure at the Johns Hopkins University Homewood campus in Baltimore.

The staff at the Space Telescope Science Institute arguably have the most familiarity with Webb — hence we sought their favorite JWST images or discoveries from the past year. Some responses have been adjusted for clarity and conciseness.

Operations Controller Irma Quispe-Neira, center, examines a series of monitors while managing the James Webb Space Telescope at the Space Telescope Science Institute on the Johns Hopkins University Homewood campus on Wednesday, May 15, 2024 in Baltimore, MD.
The personnel who frequently interact with the James Webb Space Telescope — which orbits one million miles from Earth — operate from an office facility at Johns Hopkins University’s Homewood Campus.
(Wesley Lapointe for The Baltimore Banner/=)

Webb Deputy News Chief Hannah Braun: Serpens Nebula

Why it’s her favorite: The Serpens Nebula is exceptionally captivating and embodies all the qualities that individuals have come to associate with a classic Webb image — luminous stars with diffraction spikes, protostellar outflows from nascent stars, and majestic clouds of gas and dust.

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Nevertheless, what fascinates me the most here is the narrative behind it. The picture itself is not the primary aim of the research program — the team is primarily focused on deciphering the chemical composition of the cloud, and required the image to pinpoint precisely where to aim for collecting spectroscopic data. Fortunately, that image serendipitously turned out to be perfect for a stunning capture! (Editor’s note: The Serpens Nebula is illustrated in the top image of this article.)

Mission Head Tom Brown: Sombrero Galaxy

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has recently captured an image of the Sombrero Galaxy using its MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument), unveiling the clumpy nature of the dust surrounding the galaxy’s outer ring. The mid-infrared light accentuates the gas and dust that contribute to the star formation occurring within the Sombrero Galaxy’s outer disk. The rings of the Sombrero Galaxy generate less than one solar mass of stars annually, in contrast to the Milky Way’s approximately two solar masses per year. It doesn’t serve as a particular focal point for star formation. The Sombrero Galaxy is situated about 30 million light-years from Earth in the Virgo constellation.
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has recently imaged the Sombrero Galaxy using infrared technology. The galaxy is located approximately 30 million light-years from our planet. (NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI)

Why it’s his favorite: I have been involved with both the Hubble and Webb telescopes in various capacities since completing my graduate studies. There are many stunning images that showcase how Hubble and Webb provide complementary perspectives of our universe, but the novel Webb perspective of this iconic Hubble image stands out, particularly as it aligns with my research interests.

Project Scientist Macarena Garcia Marin: Beta Pictoris

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has captured images of the star system Beta Pictoris. Webb’s MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) allowed a team of astronomers to explore the composition of Beta Pic’s primary and secondary debris disks—the latter of which had been previously identified by the Hubble Space Telescope. Unexpectedly, Webb’s infrared capabilities uncovered a new aspect of the Beta Pic system: a curvy strand of dust that resembles a cat’s tail. This tail, visible only in the MIRI data, extends from the southwestern region of the secondary debris disk and is estimated to be 10 billion miles long.
Webb’s infrared capabilities identified a new characteristic of this star system: a twisted branch of dust akin to a cat’s tail. It is estimated to extend over 10 billion miles. (NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Christopher Stark (NASA-GSFC), Kellen Lawson (NASA-GSFC), Jens Kammerer (ESO), Marshall Perrin (STScI))

Why it’s her favorite: With Webb, I am always eager to discover the unforeseen and the wonders the universe has in store. This image highlights the telescope’s exceptional capabilities, which empower astronomers to analyze well-researched objects, like this nearby youthful planetary system, and unveil features that have never been observed before, enhancing our comprehension of their essence.

Project Scientist, Science Communications, Quyen Hart: Penguin and the Egg

This “penguin gathering” is boisterous! The warped spiral galaxy at the center, the Penguin, and the dense elliptical galaxy on the left, the Egg, are engaged in an active embrace. A new near- and mid-infrared image from the James Webb Space Telescope, captured to celebrate its second year of scientific operations, illustrates that their interaction is marked by a faint inverted U-shaped blue luminescence. The duo, collectively recognized as Arp 142, undertook their initial approach between 25 and 75 million years ago — sparking “fireworks,” or new star creation, in the Penguin. In the most extreme scenarios, mergers can lead to the production of thousands of new stars annually, spanning several million years. For the Penguin, studies indicate that approximately 100 to 200 stars are formed each year. Comparatively, our Milky Way galaxy (which is not engaging with a similarly sized galaxy) generates around six to seven new stars yearly.
The warped spiral galaxy at center, the Penguin, and the dense elliptical galaxy on the left, the Egg, are engaged in an active embrace. (NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI)

Why it’s her favorite: The Penguin and the Egg ranks among my favorite visuals from 2024 due to the intricate, grand-scale details shaped by gravitational forces. Additionally, this image was chosen to commemorate the anniversary of the initiation of scientific operations for the Webb Space Telescope. The commemoration consistently reminds us of the numerous groundbreaking astronomical revelations achieved with this remarkable infrared telescope.

Principal Science Visuals Developer Joseph DePasquale: Crab Nebula

Why it’s his favorite: I have always regarded the Crab Nebula as an intriguing and mysterious entity dating back to my previous work at various observatories. This image posed a new and captivating challenge. I collaborated closely with the scientific team to enhance the images received from Webb by concentrating on the light emitted by sulfur and warm dust. We then employed color to highlight these findings, emphasizing the interactions between the highly energetic central pulsar and its influence on the surrounding environment.

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Science Visuals Developer Alyssa Pagan: NGC 602

This image from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) of star-forming region NGC 604 illustrates how stellar winds from luminous, hot young stars create cavities in surrounding gas and dust. The bright orange streaks in this image indicate the presence of carbon-based molecules known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs. As one moves farther from the immediate cavities of dust where the star is forming, the deeper red signifies molecular hydrogen. This cooler gas provides an optimal environment for star formation. Hydrogen ionized by ultraviolet radiation appears as a white and blue ethereal glow.
This image from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s NIRCam of star-forming region NGC 604 illustrates how stellar winds from luminous, hot young stars create cavities in surrounding gas and dust. (NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI)

Why it’s her favorite: Star-forming regions look captivating and exotic in the infrared. NGC 604, in particular, showcases a stunning array of formations such as large cavities carved by bright, newly-formed stars, surrounded by tendrils of dust. The image is not only visually appealing but also provides insight into how young stars develop and influence the surrounding nebula.

New Chief Christine Pulliam: Question Mark Galaxy

The galaxy cluster MACS-J0417.5-1154 is so enormous that it is distorting the fabric of space-time and altering the appearance of galaxies situated behind it, a phenomenon recognized as gravitational lensing. This natural effect magnifies distant galaxies and can also cause them to appear multiple times in an image, as demonstrated by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. Two distant, interacting galaxies — a face-on spiral and a dusty red galaxy seen from the side — appear multiple times, tracing a familiar outline across the sky. Active star formation, along with the face-on galaxy’s remarkably intact spiral structure, suggests that the interaction between these galaxies is just beginning.
The galaxy cluster MACS-J0417.5-1154 is so enormous that it is distorting the fabric of space-time and altering the appearance of galaxies situated behind it, a phenomenon recognized as gravitational lensing. This natural effect magnifies distant galaxies and can also cause them to appear multiple times in an image. (NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Vicente Estrada-Carpenter (Saint Mary’s University))

Why it’s her favorite: One of the most astonishing aspects of the universe is how space itself can warp and alter the light from objects billions of light-years away. Here, a single galaxy had its light fragmented so that it appears multiple times, twisted to create the shape of a giant question mark in space. I interpret this as symbolizing one of the best things about science — every answer evokes intriguing new questions.

Banner Reporter and Webb Enthusiast Cody Boteler: ‘Blood-Soaked’ Eyes

The gruesome color palette of these galaxies arises from a combination of mid-infrared light captured by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, along with visible and ultraviolet light from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. The two galaxies interacted millions of years ago. The smaller spiral on the left, cataloged as IC 2163, passed behind NGC 2207, the larger spiral galaxy on the right. Both have experienced heightened star formation rates. Collectively, they are estimated to produce the equivalent of two dozen new stars akin to the Sun each year. Our Milky Way galaxy generates the equivalent of two or three new stars similar to the Sun annually.
The color palette of these galaxies arises from a combination of mid-infrared light captured by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, along with visible and ultraviolet light from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. (NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI)

Why it’s my favorite: I admire nearly every visual from Webb — it’s a highlight of my week whenever a press release featuring new images from the Space Telescope Science Institute lands in my inbox. This image depicts two galaxies passing closely by each other without actually colliding.

Furthermore — it possesses a somewhat eerie appearance, and the images were released on Halloween. Whenever scientific communications embrace the playful aspects of phenomena like this, I’m even more enthusiastic about it.


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