A stellar nursery where stars are born, interactions between galaxies and a unique view of an exoplanet are just some of the new cosmic images were shared Tuesday.

After decades of waiting, it's finally time for the world to see the first images taken by the most powerful space telescope ever -- the James Webb Space Telescope.

Development of the world's premier space observatory began in 2004, and after years of delays, the telescope and its massive gold mirror finally launched on December 25.

The images are worth the wait -- and they will forever change the way we see the universe.

President Joe Biden released one of Webb's first images on Monday, and it is "the deepest and sharpest infrared image of the distant universe to date," according to NASA. The rest of the high-resolution color images made their debut on Tuesday.

The space observatory can investigate the mysteries of the universe by observing them through infrared light, which is invisible to the human eye.

Webb will peer into the very atmospheres of exoplanets, some of which are potentially habitable, and it could uncover clues in the ongoing search for life outside of Earth.

The telescope will also look at every phase of cosmic history, including the first glows after the big bang that created our universe and the formation of the galaxies, stars and planets that fill it today.

Now, Webb is ready to help us understand the origins of the universe and begin to answer key questions about our existence, such as where we came from and if we're alone in the cosmos.