1.5 terabyte data from the James webb telescope freely available for everyone

The previous recordings of the James Webb world dream telescope (JWST) were quite impressive. But now NASA lights the next stage: researchers and hobbyists are getting easier access to the raw data for their own work.

Already fundamentally prepared

A research project supported by NASA has released over 1.5 terabytes of data from the JWST for the global science community. The Cosmos-Web project a cooperation between the University of California, Santa Barbara and the Rochester Institute of Technology, thus delivers the most extensive depth of the universe to date.

The now freely accessible database not only contains an extensive galaxy catalog, but also an interactive tool with which users can specifically search for heavenly objects or access detailed information on individual objects. A sky area of ​​around 0.54 square degree was recorded using the near infrared camera (Nircam) and 0.2 square degree with the mid-infrared instrument (Miri) of the JWST.

Basically, raw data from the JWST have been available for some time, but difficult for many potential interested parties. “This data must first be calibrated and exempt from disturbing artifacts – for example from stray light effects of lighter stars – before they can be scientifically usable,” said project manager Jeyhan Kartaltepe from the Rochester Institute of Technology.

This has already been done in the information now provided. Cosmos-Web is one of the few research projects that receive annual observation time at the $ 10 billion in James Webb world space telescope. The focus is on galaxies with a very high red shift – an indication that they are far from the earth and are therefore extremely old. “We do not watch as deep as other surveys, but we discover a comparatively large heavenly region. This way we can examine large -scale structures in the early universe,” said Kartalepe.

Too much for Cosmos

The data provides important information on a decisive phase of cosmic history: the so -called reilonization about 13.5 billion years ago. At that time, the universe was permeable to light for the first time by ionized gas. The project uses the processing of the data on the French Supercomputer Candide.

Although the Cosmos-Web team has prepared the data so far, the international research community is now calling for use: “Our capacities are limited. It is great if other scientists develop their own projects based on this data,” said Kartalepe. The previous financing was carried out by the Space Telescope Science Institute of NASA; Support from Europe will also be sought for the future.