sci22005 — Announcement

Impact and Reach of Webb’s First Images

6 October 2022

-By Bethany Downer -

In July the dawn of a new era in astronomy began as the world got its first look at the full capabilities of the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope. The telescope’s first full-colour images and spectroscopic data, which uncovered a spectacular collection of cosmic features that have remained elusive until now, were released. This began with a preview of Webb’s First Deep Field of galaxy cluster SMACS 0723 as unveiled by US President Joe Biden during a White House event on Monday 11 July. On Tuesday 12 July the complete collection of Webb’s first observations were revealed during a live NASA broadcast. These first observations tell the story of the hidden Universe through every phase of cosmic history and were shared and celebrated worldwide. The now famous images and spectra revealed the capabilities of all four of Webb’s state-of-the-art scientific instruments and confirmed that the observations to come will revolutionise our understanding of the cosmos and our own origins.

Community Events

ESA/Webb coordinated a variety of initiatives to celebrate this release. As was done for the Hubble 30 celebrations, ESA/Webb invited proposals from organisations, institutions, and groups across Europe to maximise the reach and impact of the ERO products with special events. Following a solicitation call, 43 European events were conducted by more than 60 organisations and institutions. Images from these events can be explored here.

Social Media

Throughout Webb’s commissioning period, ten Q&As were held on ESA/Webb’s Twitter with Webb scientists, to build momentum for the EROs and excitement for Webb science results. This provided a special opportunity for the public to engage directly with the Webb scientists and was very well received. Over 200 million people were reached worldwide on the ESA and ESA Webb social media channels for the various hashtags used. #EuropeMeetsWebb was used throughout the buildup and release of the first images and spectra. #WebbSeesFarther was drawn from the name of the ESA Webb Brochure and was used throughout general Webb social media outreach throughout commissioning and around the big release. #WebbChallenge invited Twitter followers to share what observations they are most looking forward to by using this hashtag and to pass it onto others. Throughout the release celebrations, over 18 million impressions were made on the three ESA/Webb social media channels

Release Products and Global Impact

On 11 and 12 July, Webb’s first images and spectra were revealed and showcased on ESA/Webb’s platforms with 5 announcements, 6 press releases, 19 images, 12 original videos, and 13 additions to the ESA Webb GIPHY page. In the first two weeks following the release, this yielded nearly one million visitors on the ESA/Webb website, over 1 million video views, and over 1 million uses of ESA/Webb’s GIPHY products. Through various media outlets, the images totalled over 100 billion impressions around the world, and more than 55 thousand articles published online. Of these, approximately 30% were published by European media.

Illuminations featuring the images or honouring the release took place at the Empire State Building, NASDAQ and Morgan Stanley screens in Times Square, as well as Picadilly Circus and the Eiffel Tower. The Google Doodle on 12 July shown to users in most of the Americas, Europe, North Africa, India, South Africa and Australia also celebrated the release of the first images. 

More To Come

Evidently, the images and spectra were enjoyed by a global audience and the public is eager for more exciting results from Webb. Since the release of Webb’s first images, we’ve shared stunning new images of Jupiter, the Cartwheel Galaxy, the Phantom Galaxy, the Tarantula Nebula, and more, while showcasing Webb’s groundbreaking science including the first imaged exoplanet and the detection of carbon dioxide in an exoplanet atmosphere.

There are plenty of breathtaking images to come as well as impactful science results that will be sure to excite the scientific community. We invite you to subscribe to receive new ESA/Hubble and ESA/Webb press releases direct to your inbox, and to follow along on the ESA/Webb social media channels to engage with the latest updates, images, and science from Webb:

• Facebook — for up to date information and images from Webb.
• Twitter — for insightful threads and exclusive Q&A’s with scientists and engineers involved in Webb operations and research. You can send your own questions using #HeyWebb.
• Instagram — for breathtaking images.
• Giphy — for animations that mark the perfect reaction in any social media conversation.
• YouTube — for deeper understanding of the space telescope and its mission, captured including the special series #SpaceSparks, as well as special videos of all Webb images.
• LinkedIn — for more science- and career-related opportunities in regard to the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope and the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope.

Contacts

Bethany Downer
ESA/Webb Chief Science Communications Officer
E-mail: Bethany.Downer@esawebb.org