Where no telescope has seen before

The Cosmic Cliffs of the Carina Nebula are seen in an image divided horizontally by an undulating...
The Cosmic Cliffs of the Carina Nebula are seen in an image divided horizontally by an undulating line between a cloudscape forming a nebula along the bottom portion and a comparatively clear upper portion. PHOTO: REUTERS
Stephan’s Quintet, a collection of five galaxies, as seen by the mid-infrared instrument part of...
Stephan’s Quintet, a collection of five galaxies, as seen by the mid-infrared instrument part of the telescope. PHOTO: REUTERS
A group of five galaxies that appear close to each other in the sky: two in the middle, one...
A group of five galaxies that appear close to each other in the sky: two in the middle, one toward the top, one to the upper left, and one toward the bottom. PHOTO: REUTERS
Two side-by-side images show observations of the Southern Ring Nebula in near-infrared light ...
Two side-by-side images show observations of the Southern Ring Nebula in near-infrared light (left) and mid-infrared light. PHOTO: REUTERS
A composite image of the Cosmic Cliffs in the Carina Nebula. PHOTO: REUTERS
A composite image of the Cosmic Cliffs in the Carina Nebula. PHOTO: REUTERS
Spectators look at the broadcast of Nasa’s first images from James Webb Space Telescope on...
Spectators look at the broadcast of Nasa’s first images from James Webb Space Telescope on screens in Picadilly Circus, London, yesterday. The imagery from the telescope was also broadcast to screens in New York’s Times Square. PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

These images were taken by Nasa’s James Webb Space Telescope which is designed primarily to conduct infrared astronomy.

As the largest optical telescope in space, its greatly improved infrared resolution and sensitivity allows it to view objects too old, distant, or faint for the Hubble Space Telescope.