Even the Webb Telescope's Engineering Test Images Manage To Wow (arstechnica.com) 49
On Wednesday evening NASA released a "test" image from the telescope that suggests the forthcoming scientific images and data will be spectacular. Ars Technica reports: The release of the test photo, which NASA casually says is "among the deepest images of the Universe ever taken," almost feels like a flex because it is so good for a throw-away engineering image. The space agency collected the image in late May during a week-long stability test intended to demonstrate the capabilities of the telescope's Fine Guidance Sensor. This instrument helps Webb find and lock onto astronomical targets, and it was built by the Canadian Space Agency.
"The resulting engineering test image has some rough-around-the-edges qualities to it," NASA said in a news release. "It was not optimized to be a science observation; rather, the data was taken to test how well the telescope could stay locked onto a target, but it does hint at the power of the telescope. It carries a few hallmarks of the views Webb has produced during its postlaunch preparations. Bright stars stand out with their six, long, sharply defined diffraction spikes-- an effect due to Webb's six-sided mirror segments. Beyond the stars, galaxies fill nearly the entire background." Ars notes that we will see the public release of the first science images from the James Webb Space Telescope in just five days, beginning at 10:30 am ET (14:30 UTC).
"The resulting engineering test image has some rough-around-the-edges qualities to it," NASA said in a news release. "It was not optimized to be a science observation; rather, the data was taken to test how well the telescope could stay locked onto a target, but it does hint at the power of the telescope. It carries a few hallmarks of the views Webb has produced during its postlaunch preparations. Bright stars stand out with their six, long, sharply defined diffraction spikes-- an effect due to Webb's six-sided mirror segments. Beyond the stars, galaxies fill nearly the entire background." Ars notes that we will see the public release of the first science images from the James Webb Space Telescope in just five days, beginning at 10:30 am ET (14:30 UTC).
J.J. Abrams working for NASA now? (Score:4, Funny)
Because lens flare.
Re:J.J. Abrams working for NASA now? (Score:5, Informative)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]
Dr Becky explains why the 'lens flare'.
But yes, JJ got his hands on the telescope :D
This universe sucks (Score:5, Funny)
No aliens, No alien megastructures. Nothing.
Re: This universe sucks (Score:5, Interesting)
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I know, I know. I wish, I wish.
But somehow it seems to be a higher priority to placate the desires of willfully ignorant wealthy and powerful people. If you look at history, it seems that that has almost always been the highest priority. We've been getting better for quite a while now, but at the moment we seem bound and determined to reverse that.
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Then, from my observation, this universe is fucked.
Oh sure, we still have some visionaries.
But the vast swamp of humanity is obsessed with calling each other names, looking at funny cat videos nonstop, and wanking. The people in charge are more concerned with ginning up hatred for "those other guys" than leading.
If this were a video game, I'd have hit "RESTART CURRENT GAME" a long time ago.
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Why would alien megastructures show up on an infrared image? Besides, they were looking at deep space, and the telescope isn't that big.
What we need is something the size of China's quarter mile telescope in space. That should be good enough to show up alien megastructures in the local group of stars, if there are any.
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Why would alien megastructures show up on an infrared image?
Because, unless they found a loophole in the laws of physics, they would emit quite a bit of heat. Whether it was generating the heat, or it was absorbing and re-emiting heat from surrounding stars and material/gravitational stresses.
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Yeah even a dyson sphere will radiate heat from the star it is surrounding.
And I think that qualifies as a mega structure.
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>the laws of physics
As we understand them.
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unless they found a loophole in the laws of physics
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>No aliens, No alien megastructures
Yet.
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Their job is science, not wowing fools.
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Re: Taken in May. So they sat on this for WEEKS. (Score:2)
+1 nice
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Jesus Christ. If you have literally no clue about how these images are made, just stop commenting on it!
Hint: It's NOT a camera that produces JPGs!
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I should hope not. WebbP compresses better.
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Go stand in the corner. Bad. Bad. lol
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It took me a second to figure out if that was a typo or intentional.
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Yes
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Oh lookie, the rude, ignorant moron being rude and ignorant again.
Hint: You're stupider than you think.
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Jesus Christ. If you knew how these images were made then you'd know that that is totally irrelevant to why NASA have only now released images from MAY and are sitting on many more images.
Jesus Christ. It is clear you have literally no clue about anything, and are rude as well. Just stop commenting.
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Is this some sort of new Sovereign Citizen thing I'm missing? Getting angry about not getting your pretty pictures from a government agency that "MAH TAX DOLLAHS" paid for?
Because... Wow.
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Jesus Christ. This is a news for nerds site. If you do not want to see pretty pictures from the best telescope man has ever made, you are in the wrong place.
If you are not offended by old tech companies ripping off taxpayers for billions and sitting in the way of new tech, you are in the wrong place.
If you are not offended by marketing dweebs preventing you from seeing those picture because Marketing, you are in the wrong place.
What an exaggeration (Score:1)
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I was expecting something more focused, not all in tones of red, maybe cropped to an actual rectangle
TFA explains why it's a single colour. And you're looking at multiple exposures with a roughly square sensor. And focused on what? There are multiple objects with a vast range of distances.
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Well, it turns out the Advertising Department was never stood up in NASA for the Webb telescope...something about rather paying attention to their job instead of producing pretty images for the unwashed.
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but from the description I was expecting something more focused
Why?
"The resulting engineering test image has some rough-around-the-edges qualities to it,"
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The light that produces these images has taken billions of years to reach the imaging sensor. If light from 10+ billion years ago isn't light from the "early universe" then you would have to at least agree that it is from the "earlier universe".
Are things OK after the space pebble hit Web ? (Score:1)
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Apparently, its still working.
Re: Are things OK after the space pebble hit Web ? (Score:2)
The meteor strike did have a detectable effect on the images, but the effect is small and the imaging system is still performing better than expectations.
https://blogs.nasa.gov/webb/20... [nasa.gov]
Rect (Score:2)
My god. It's full of stars!
Re: Rect (Score:2)
No it's not, there are only a handful of stars in that image, it's mostly galaxies.
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...which are full of stars.
Something to ponder (Score:1)
I am reminded by this image of a quote I saw recently: "Imagine worshipping a god who, despite creating 100 billion galaxies in the observable universe, is really mad about your dildos".
Turntables (Score:2)
But turntables have both wow and flutter.
Most impressive (Score:2)