Local scientists and engineers excited for Webb telescope images

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WHEC) – The world is marveling at the first deep space images from the James Webb telescope, which was partly developed in Rochester.

NASA released the first images Monday from the largest and most powerful telescope ever built, providing the sharpest and deepest infrared views of the distant universe to date.

Click here to watch NASA’s remarks starting at 9:45 a.m. with the new images being released at 10:30 a.m.

Scientists and engineers from L3 Harris and RIT helped to develop it, and News10NBC will be speaking with some of those developers at media availability Tuesday morning following the NASA presentation,

L3 Harris scientists helped develop a complex system of mirrors for the telescope and put it through tests to simulate what it’s like in space.

The telescope’s mission is to "unfold the infrared universe". It launched on Christmas day last year, and is now approaching its destination,1 million miles from earth.

Scientists say it will "explore every phase of cosmic history – from within the solar system to the most distant observable galaxies in the early universe, and everything in between."

President Joe Biden and Vice president kamala Harris got to see the first image Monday. "It’s a new window into the history of our universe and today we’re going to get a glimpse of the first light to shine through that window. Light from other worlds, orbiting stars, far beyond our own, it’s astounding to me when i read this."