Coined the “Cosmic Cliffs,” this landscape of “mountains” and “valleys” speckled with glittering stars is actually the edge of a nearby, young, star-forming region called NGC 3324 in the Carina Nebula. For the first time, previously hidden star birth regions are now visible in this image. Photo: VCG

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope revealed what it called the “deepest and sharpest” infrared image of the distant universe to date. Known as Webb’s First Deep Field, the photo shows the galaxy cluster SMACS 0723 as it appeared 4.6 billion years ago. Photo: VCG

The Southern Ring Nebula as seen in near-infrared light (left) and mid-infrared light (right). The images are contrasted by the different cameras that collect different wavelengths of light. Also known as NGC 3132, the Southern Ring Nebula, is approximately 2,500 light-years away. Photo: VCG

Stephan’s Quintet, a visual grouping of five galaxies, is Webb’s largest image to date, covering about one-fifth of the Moon’s diameter. The photo provides new insights into how galactic interactions may have driven galaxy evolution in the early universe. Photo: VCG

Stephan’s Quintet as viewed by Webb’s Mid-Infrared Instrument, which pierced through dust-enshrouded regions to reveal the galaxies in greater detail, NASA said. Photo: VCG

The first in-focus image of a star by the James Webb Space Telescope in March 2022, using a red filter to optimize visual contrast. Photo: VCG

The James Webb Space Telescope separates from Arianespace’s Ariane 5 rocket after launching from Europe’s Spaceport, the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana, in December 2021. The project is a culmination of an international program led by NASA, with the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency as partners. Photo: VCG

Technicians lift the mirror of the James Webb Space Telescope, comprised of golden segments, using a crane at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, U.S. in December 2021. Photo: VCG