James Webb telescope sends back more astonishing photos of distant galaxy

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is once again showing off its optical brilliance — this time, as it enters the home stretch of testing, it’s capturing stunning new images of a neighbouring satellite galaxy.

The JWST beamed back its latest round of test pictures, and when compared to images taken by NASA’s previous infrared observatory, the Spitzer Space Telescope, the results are astonishing.

The photos show the Large Magellanic Cloud, a small galaxy near the larger Milky Way, and when compared to Spitzer’s photos the new test images reveal unprecedented details of interstellar gas between the stars. Read more: ‘Absolutely phenomenal’: Webb Telescope’s first images have scientists giddy Each of the 18 mirror segments on the new telescope is bigger than the single one on Spitzer. “It’s not until you actually see the kind of image that it delivers that you really internalize and go ‘wow!’” University of Arizona’s Marcia Rieke, chief scientist for Webb’s near-infrared camera, told a press conference Monday. “Just think of what we’re going to learn.” Computer, enhance!

Compare the same target — seen by Spitzer & in Webb’s calibration images. Spitzer, NASA's first infrared Great Observatory, led the way for Webb’s larger primary mirror & improved detectors to see the infrared sky with even more clarity: https://t.co/dIqEpp8hVi pic.twitter.com/g941Ug2rJ8 — NASA Webb Telescope (@NASAWebb) <a href=«https://twitter.com/NASAWebb/status/1523672712551538688?ref_src=» https: globalnews.ca>May 9, 2022 The JWST is the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, which has not only provided stunning images but has also been vital in providing scientific knowledge about our universe and its origins.