Hours of image processing work went into each of the five full-color James Webb Space Telescope images released by NASA this week.

Why it matters: Through its photos, the JWST — which captures light in wavelengths the human eye can't see — will change the way the public and scientists understand the history of the universe.

Where it stands: The JWST looks at the universe in infrared light, allowing it to cut through dust to see the intimate details of star formation and even the faint light of some of the first galaxies that formed more than 13 billion years ago.

How it works: When photos taken by the JWST's huge mirror are beamed back to Earth, they basically look black, DePasquale says.

The JWST is so sensitive that it's able to differentiate between bands of infrared light in much the same way our eyes can see different bands of optical light — which we perceive as colors.