Even the Webb telescope’s engineering test images manage to wow

Enlarge / This Fine Guidance Sensor test image was acquired in parallel with NIRCam imaging of the star HD147980 over a period of eight days at the beginning of May. (credit: NASA, CSA, and FGS team)

We are now just five days away from the public release of the first science images from the James Webb Space Telescope, and anticipation is running pretty high. After more than two decades, and $10 billion, it's time for Webb to pay off.

Early indications are that it will.

On Wednesday evening NASA released a "test" image from the telescope that suggests the forthcoming scientific images and data will be spectacular. The release of the test photo, which NASA casually says is "among the deepest images of the Universe ever taken," almost feels like a flex because it is so good for a throw-away engineering image.