ChronoFive
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Setting the scene
The James Webb Space Telescope launched December 25, 2021, from French Guiana on an Ariane 5 rocket. The $10 billion telescope, a successor to Hubble, unfolded a 21-foot gold mirror at L2, 1 million miles from Earth.
What happened
Webb's first images released July 2022 revealed the deepest view of the universe, showing galaxies formed 13 billion years ago. It has transformed astronomy, detecting exoplanet atmospheres and early galaxy formation.
Why it still matters
The launch began a new era of space observation, demonstrating international scientific collaboration.
Background
Infrared images rewrote astronomy textbooks.