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Simulated Infrared Images from Webb and Hubble

Graphic of four images of equal size. The top two are labeled “Webb” and the bottom two are labeled “Hubble.” The two images at left show a host galaxy. The two images at right show a host galaxy and a quasar.
These simulated images show how a quasar and its host galaxy would appear to NASA’s upcoming James Webb Space Telescope (top) and Hubble Space Telescope (bottom) at infrared wavelengths of 1.5 and 1.6 microns, respectively. Webb’s larger mirror will provide more than 4 times the resolution, enabling astronomers to separate the galaxy’s light from the overwhelming light of the central quasar. The individual images span about 2 arcseconds on the sky, which represents a distance of 36,000 light-years at a redshift of 7.
  • Release Date
    October 14, 2020
  • Science Release
    Simulations Show Webb Telescope Can Reveal Distant Galaxies Hidden in Quasars’ Glare
    Read the release
  • Credit
    Image: Madeline Marshall (University of Melbourne)

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Last Updated
Aug 28, 2025
Contact
Media

Laura Betz
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
laura.e.betz@nasa.gov

Image Credit

Madeline Marshall (University of Melbourne)

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