The Image above is not only the James Webb Telescope’s first image, but also the deepest and sharpest infrared image of the distant universe to date.
It’s simply incredible to think that James Webb’s image shows the galaxy cluster SMACS 0723 as it appeared 4.6 billion years ago. And this slice of the vast universe is approximately the size of a grain of sand held at arm’s length by someone on the ground.
Webb’s first deep field uses a gravitational lensing galaxy cluster to find some of the most distant galaxies ever detected.
The image below is from the Hubble telescope of the same spot taken earlier.
Seeing this I am reminded of what Carl Sagan said about the staggering image (Pale Blue Dot) of Earth taken by Voyager 1 as it was speeding out of the solar system – beyond Neptune on February 14, 1990 from a distance of 3.7 billion miles (0.00062 light-years).
“It has been said that astronomy is a humbling and character-building experience. There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits (than this distant image of our tiny world). To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we’ve ever known.”
Quoting Carl Sagan, “Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the Universe are challenged..” by this distant image.
A new era of astronomy has begun.
#jameswebb #jameswebbspacetelescope #nasa
#LearningNeverEnds #CuriousTitans
Image Source
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https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/goddard/2022/nasa-s-webb-delivers-deepest-infrared-image-of-universe-yet
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https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/resources/536/voyager-1s-pale-blue-dot/
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HUBBLE vs JWST: Here's the difference. Welcome to a new era of astronomy. pic.twitter.com/ATIOhc2mnQ
— Ian Lauer Astro (@ianlauerastro) July 11, 2022
