The James Webb Space Telescope opens for business

celestial photoshoots go, the “Cosmic Cliffs” (above) were always going to be a safe bet. These stunning, textured peaks of dust and gas in the Carina nebula are light-years high. So the cliffs’ appearance this week at the release of the James Webb Space Telescope’s () first images was no great surprise. The ’s predecessor, the Hubble Space Telescope, snapped the same region in 2005. The difference between these vistas could not be more striking. The , the largest space telescope ever built, has already spotted baby stars among the peaks that no previous observatory could manage. This week’s snaps give just a hint of the thrilling programme of science to come.