Fine Guidance Sensor Preview Image

Webb gives an early glimpse at its potential, hinting at the telescope’s powerful capabilities and images to come. This test image confirms the telescope is not only operating as planned, but better than expected. Using the Fine Guidance Sensor (FGS), this image was taken by engineers for testing purposes, but is stunning in its own right. It is the result of 72 exposures over the course of 32 hours, and amazingly is also among the deepest images of the universe ever captured.  Beyond the few bright stars in the foreground, the extremely sensitive sensor reveals many full galaxies, that fill the background.