How big is the patch of sky in the image?

About a grain of sand at arm's length

Where does Webb orbit?

Near the L2 point about 1.5 million km away

Webb Deep Field Quiz: SMACS 0723 and the First Images

This Webb deep field quiz zooms into the July 2022 image that introduced the James Webb Space Telescope to the world. Play 10 interactive questions on the SMACS 0723 cluster, gravitational lensing, infrared light, NIRCam, the tiny patch of sky, the gold mirror, L2 and the other first images.

Start Webb Deep Field Quiz

🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

Target
Which galaxy cluster is at the center of Webb's First Deep Field?
Date
When was the image released?
Lensing
What makes distant galaxies look stretched into arcs?
Light
Which kind of light does Webb mainly observe?
Camera
Which Webb instrument took the image?
Size
How big is the patch of sky in the image?
Exposure
About how long did the image take to gather?
Mirror
What is Webb's main mirror coated with?
Orbit
Where does Webb orbit?
Others
Which other target was among Webb's first images?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: Which galaxy cluster is at the center of Webb's First Deep Field?
Answer: SMACS 0723
Its gravity bends light from behind.
Q2: When was the image released?
Answer: July 2022
It was shown at the White House.
Q3: What makes distant galaxies look stretched into arcs?
Answer: Gravitational lensing
Massive clusters bend light.
Q4: Which kind of light does Webb mainly observe?
Answer: Infrared
Infrared passes through dust.
Q5: Which Webb instrument took the image?
Answer: NIRCam
It is the Near Infrared Camera.
Q6: How big is the patch of sky in the image?
Answer: About a grain of sand at arm's length
Yet it holds thousands of galaxies.
Q7: About how long did the image take to gather?
Answer: 12.5 hours
Hubble needed weeks for deep fields.
Q8: What is Webb's main mirror coated with?
Answer: Gold
Gold reflects infrared well.
Q9: Where does Webb orbit?
Answer: Near the L2 point about 1.5 million km away
It stays in Earth's shadow side.
Q10: Which other target was among Webb's first images?
Answer: Carina Nebula's Cosmic Cliffs
Stephan's Quintet was another.

Webb Deep Field Quiz – SMACS 0723 and the First Images

The James Webb Space Telescope launched on 25 December 2021 and unfolded its gold-coated mirror and tennis-court-sized sunshield on the way to the L2 point. It studies the universe mainly in infrared light.

On 11 July 2022 the White House revealed Webb's First Deep Field, centered on the galaxy cluster SMACS 0723. The cluster's gravity acts as a lens, bending and magnifying light from more distant galaxies into arcs.

NIRCam gathered the image in about 12.5 hours, covering a patch of sky the size of a grain of sand held at arm's length. Other first images showed the Carina Nebula, Stephan's Quintet, the Southern Ring Nebula and a planet's atmosphere.

What This Quiz Teaches

Astronomy fans will enjoy these questions.

Which cluster is shown
How lensing works
Which light Webb sees
How the image was made
Which other images came first

Did You Know?

Light from some galaxies traveled for over 13 billion years.
Webb's mirror has 18 hexagonal segments.
The sunshield has five thin layers.
Webb launched on an Ariane 5 rocket.
It is a partnership of NASA, ESA and Canada.