NIRCam — the Near-InfraRed Camera

Webb’s NIRCam is the observatory’s primary camera, and can simultaneously image the cosmos in two different infrared ranges. Taking advantage of Webb’s exquisite image quality and large primary mirror, the instrument has acquired some of the deepest (i.e. farthest away) near-infrared images ever obtained, detecting light from the first stars and galaxies.

NIRCam has coronagraphic and spectroscopic capabilities, which are, for example, used to characterise exoplanets. NIRCam is also the primary tool for alignment of the telescope. It was provided by the University of Arizona.

View the collection of images and data taken by NIRCam here.