The Cosmic Evolution Survey (COSMOS) has released over 1.5 TB of James Webb Space Telescope data, offering the largest view deep into the universe available to date. This dataset provides a catalog of galaxies and an interactive viewer that allows users to search for images of specific objects or click them to view their properties.
A joint project between the University of California, Santa Barbara, and Rochester Institute of Technology, COSMOS-Web aims to study very high redshift galaxies in a relatively large region of sky. By observing these galaxies, researchers can measure the scale of structures at high redshift and gain insights into the early universe’s reionization process.
The dataset includes images taken with the Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam) and Mid Infrared Instrument (MIRI), covering approximately 0.54 square degrees of sky and a smaller area, respectively. The project used the French supercomputer CANDIDE to combine these images into a single mosaic and run the catalog.
COSMOS-Web relies on the data to continue its mission to understand the early universe’s transition from neutral hydrogen to ionized gas. By exploring this period, known as reionization, researchers can gain insights into how galaxies are distributed relative to this structure.
The project is open to collaborations with other scientists and institutions worldwide, as it acknowledges that the broader community’s involvement will be essential in unlocking new scientific ideas and projects. With NASA funding through its Space Telescope Science Institute project, COSMOS-Web aims to make the dataset available for open science access.
Source: https://www.theregister.com/2025/06/09/jwst_open_science_data