The JWST Early Release Observations
Klaus Pontoppidan, Jaclyn Barrientes, Claire Blome, Hannah Braun, Matthew Brown, Margaret Carruthers, Dan Coe, Joseph DePasquale, Nestor Espinoza, Macarena Garcia Marin, Karl D. Gordon, Alaina Henry, Leah Hustak, Andi James, Anton M. Koekemoer, Stephanie LaMassa, David Law, Alexandra Lockwood, Amaya Moro-Martin, Susan E. Mullally, Alyssa Pagan, Dani Player, Charles Proffitt, Christine Pulliam, Leah Ramsay, Swara Ravindranath, Neill Reid, Massimo Robberto, Elena Sabbi, Leonardo Ubeda, Michael Balogh, Kathryn Flanagan, Jonathan Gardner, Hashima Hasan, Bonnie Meinke, Antonella Nota
TL;DR
The JWST Early Release Observations paper documents the design, production, and public release of a first set of JWST images and spectra intended to validate the observatory's science readiness and engage the public. It outlines the target-selection process, the cross-institutional production pipeline, and the multi-instrument observing plan, while clarifying that the work focuses on data products and processing rather than new astrophysical analysis. The data, released through MAST and supported by STScI and outreach teams, illustrate JWST's capabilities across early galaxies, interactions, stellar birth/death, and exoplanets and establish a framework for future public releases. By marking JWST's transition from commissioning to science operations, the paper provides a blueprint for rapid dissemination and community use of high-level science products.
Abstract
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Early Release Observations (EROs) is a set of public outreach products created to mark the end of commissioning and the beginning of science operations for JWST. Colloquially known as the "Webb First Images and Spectra", these products were intended to demonstrate to the worldwide public that JWST is ready for science, and is capable of producing spectacular results. The package was released on July 12, 2022, and included images and spectra of the galaxy cluster SMACS~J0723.3-7327 and distant lensed galaxies, the interacting galaxy group Stephan's Quintet, NGC 3324 in the Carina star-forming complex, the Southern Ring planetary nebula NGC 3132, and the transiting hot Jupiter WASP 96b. This paper describes the ERO technical design, observations, and scientific processing of data underlying the colorful outreach products.