James Webb Space Telescope marks 3rd anniversary: What to know about observatory

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Three years into its cosmic mission, NASA's James Webb Space Telescope continues to dazzle and inspire awe.
Since July 2022, the advanced observatory has scoured the cosmos in otherwise invisible infrared light to uncover corners of our solar system and the wider universe that have long eluded detection.
For NASA and astronomers the world over, Webb's observations have been an indispensable source of scientific discovery – yielding 550 terabytes of data and leading to the publication of more than 1,600 research papers.
For the rest of us, we've been treated to some stunning photos and have perhaps learned a thing or two about the cosmos and Earth's place among the stars.
And for its three-year anniversary, Webb again provided a gift to humanity with a never-before-seen look at a distant nebula fittingly known as Cat's Paw.
"Three years into its mission, Webb continues to deliver on its design – revealing previously hidden aspects of the universe, from the star formation process to some of the earliest galaxies,' Shawn Domagal-Goldman, acting director of the astrophysics division at NASA's Headquarters in Washington, D.C., said in a statement.
Here's everything to know about the James Webb Space Telescope, and what it captured on its three-year anniversary observing the cosmos.
To mark Webb's third year of operations, NASA shared an image the observatory gathered showcasing the thick, dusty layers of a section that's known as the Cat's Paw Nebula.
Located approximately 4,000 light-years from Earth, the Cat's Paw Nebula is a massive star-forming region in the constellation Scorpius. Webb's recent infrared observation of the nebula focused on a single section of the astral feature, so-named because it resembles a feline's paw pad.
Webb's observation of the nebula lends unprecedented detail to a region previously observed by other space telescopes, including Hubble, NASA said.
The section appears to contain young stars shaping the surrounding gas and dust, and it progresses from a large molecular cloud to massive stars.
Billed by NASA as "the largest, most powerful and most complex telescope ever launched into space," the James Webb Space Telescope far surpasses the abilities of its predecessor, the Hubble Space Telescope. The observatory is named for NASA's second-ever administrator.
Orbiting the sun rather than Earth, Webb is outfitted with a gold-coated mirror more than 21 feet in diameter and powerful infrared instruments to observe the cosmos like no instrument before.
Hubble, by the way, recently reached its own milestone in April when it marked its 35th year since launching in 1990 on the space shuttle Discovery from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Webb launched on Christmas Day in 2021 aboard an Ariane 5 rocket from the European Space Agency's Ariane Space Spaceport in French Guiana.
Webb, which then began its cosmic operations in July 2022, was designed to operate for up to 10 years. But as fortune would have it, the mission team determined the observatory should have enough propellant to allow it to operate in orbit for more than 20 years.
Since reaching the cosmos, Webb has not only facilitated countless scientific breakthroughs in astrophysics, but it also has produced gorgeous images of planets and other celestial objects, including star-forming regions. Earlier this year, Webb's data also was crucial in allowing scientists to determine that a menacing asteroid known as 2024 YR4 posed no threat to Earth during an upcoming flyby.
'As it repeatedly breaks its own records, Webb is also uncovering unknowns for new generations of flagship missions to tackle," Domagal-Goldman said. "The questions Webb has raised are just as exciting as the answers it's giving us.'
In March, NASA also deployed into orbit its SPHEREx telescope to collect data on more than 450 million galaxies.
The telescope got off the ground on March 12, aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in Southern California.
Scientists say the SPHEREx observatory, which became operational in May, will be able to get a wider view of the Milky Way galaxy – identifying objects of scientific interest that telescopes like Hubble and Webb can then study up close.
For the next 25 months, the SPHEREx observatory will orbit Earth more than 11,000 times while surveying and imaging the surrounding sky. When SPHEREx takes pictures of the sky, the light is sent to six detectors that can capture different wavelengths of light, or exposures.
By the mission's end, NASA will weave hundreds of thousands of SPHEREx's images into digital sky maps.
There's also the Chandra X-ray Observatory, which has spent more than 25 years detecting exotic environments in the cosmos to help astronomers understand the structure and evolution of the universe. The space telescope, which launched in 1999 aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia, continues to provide data allowing scientists to make new cosmic discoveries.
But now, Chandra's future remains uncertain after it was among the missions in President Donald Trump's proposed budget for NASA that could be cut.
Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at [e-mail]
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: On its 3rd anniversary, James Webb Space Telescope captures Cat's Paw