This might interest some:
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Yes this is such a great time for space exploration. We are wearing the planet out at an unsustainable rate so hopefully these advancements may bring a little relief.
Being interested in outer space since the mid '60’s I am grateful to see all of the progress along the way.
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Very exciting.
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Fascinating that there are Space Trolls.
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The latest is there is a ‘Presidential preview’ at 5:00 ET per the NASA Twitter feed. Whatever that means (it should be … now). What I find interesting is an advertisement now running in movie theaters here jointly by NASA and NG to prime the public. I saw it again yesterday and I could hear the murmur of curiosity it caused. Not many really understand the science, but many are intrigued by what Webb is and what it can do. My hope is the next generation of scientists and engineers will be inspired by it.
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A wide field image of SMACS 0723. Gravitational lensing can be seen in that field for those who know what to look for.
James Webb Space Telescope’s 1st photos | Space
More first images tomorrow. This isn’t the only one. It’s also a NIRCam image, I believe. The truly breathtaking science will be in the mid-infrared (a different instrument) and I for one hope to see images from it in the official rollout.
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They were saying that WEBB can see 11b light years into the past. It will be able (was designed to ) see 11.5 b light years into the past. The current estimate of the beginning of time is 11.8 b light years ago so getting pretty close!
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I don’t know why, exactly…but I expect WEBB may very well call into question, if not alter, the estimate of the beginning of time as well as other estimates, theories, hypotheses.
Great stuff, very moving if you think about it.
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Agreed. It’s like we are on the first step of an unknown length ladder heading to an unknown place!
It may, but I suspect the Webb will instead confirm our current understanding as to the the age of the universe.
Regardless it is fascinating and wonderful.
The farther the object is from us, the higher the red shift. The expanding raisin bread analogy (not joking, that’s how it is taught and how I grasped the concept as an astronomy student). That means the farther into the mid-IR Webb’s MIRI can be pushed, the farther back in time we’re observing. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if MIRI pushes the age of the universe as we know it back empirically.
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Yes; what (very) little I know about cosmology suggests that relatively long held assumptions and limited observations forming the basis for our understanding of the universe are due for some updating.
Whatever the outcome, I am optimistic the JWST will do just that and advance our understanding (maybe immensely?).
My expectation is it will indeed be immense. 
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So immense, it’s incomprehense!
I’ve only heard of refinements over the past couple of decades in the 13+B area. Did something happen to change that?
I’ll have to go back and watch the video again. I may have misquoted as it was near my bedtime when I watched. But hey - what’s a couple billion light years among friends?
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