The first photographs from NASA’s new James Webb telescope have been released.

For the most distant galaxies ever observed or analysed, go no farther than this first picture! [overview of the images is here].

The phenomenon known as “Carina’s Nebula” illustrates the early stages of the development of a star.

The Southern Ring Nebula is a picture of the gas that is around a dying star.

The image known as “Stephan’s Quintet” displays a cluster of galaxies.

An awe-inspiring display of these photographs reminded me of Carl Sagan’s comment on a picture showing Earth as a faint blue dot in the Milky Way galaxy:

“It has been said that astronomy is a humbling and character-building experience. There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we’ve ever known.” | Carl Sagan

These images are a reminder for us living in our barely visible pale blue dot to be kind to one another 🙂