James Webb first images – complete set of high resolution shots now live

Post by rootusrootus » Tue, Jul 12, 2022, 4:51 PM UTC

palmtree3000 wrote: post #107

rootusrootus wrote: post #104

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Thanks for the direct links! > Webb's First Deep Field (NIRCam Image) Is this image distorted in any way at all? It feels like the galaxies are somehow oriented around a center spot. Not all of them, but enough to give the image a distorted feeling. Probably it's just my mind pattern matching against something that doesn't really exist.

Gravitational lensing. From the description[0]: Other features include the prominent arcs in this field. The powerful gravitational field of a galaxy cluster can bend the light rays from more distant galaxies behind it, just as a magnifying glass bends and warps images. Stars are also captured with prominent diffraction spikes, as they appear brighter at shorter wavelengths. [0] https://webbtelescope.org/contents/new…

Post by FailMore » Tue, Jul 12, 2022, 4:51 PM UTC

Post by moffkalast » Tue, Jul 12, 2022, 4:52 PM UTC

rbliss wrote: post #29

historynops wrote: post #10

A lot of the pictures have some bright stars with 6 long lens flare like points coming out of them in a consistent pattern. Is that because of the hexagonal shape of JWT's lenses/mirrors?

Yes, it's a combination of both the primary mirror and struts. The JWST website has a very helpful infographic explaining: https://webbtelescope.org/contents/media/images/01G529MX46J7...

Post by vishnugupta » Tue, Jul 12, 2022, 4:52 PM UTC

whiteboardr wrote: post #93

roywiggins wrote: post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Webb's primary camera is infrared, so there is by necessity a choice to be made with how to present the data for humans who can't see in infrared.

I am aware. (And have been eagerly waiting for this moment for ages) It just seems “unscientific” to just use Photoshop and above all curious about the set of rules and algorithms, that enables them to decide which hue to pick for which region, levels, etc.

Post by coldpie » Tue, Jul 12, 2022, 4:53 PM UTC

jacquesm wrote: post #114

saiya-jin wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

1150 light years away! Imagine how much more details can be detected for stuff within 50 light years. Really, they should be already building 2nd James Webb. I am sure even 10 of them would get 100% utilization for their whole lifetime. I can only imagine what kind of needless political game is happening around prioritization of time slots for it. Or start working on next-gen, bigger, more resilient etc. It costs pea…

I fear there won't be any more JWSTs at all. People are already bitching about how much it cost and that all it does is make pretty pictures right here in this thread and there were many times that it came within a hair of having its budget slashed. Super happy we have one JWST, and I hope fervently that it will outlast its original mission by a large fraction, every sign right now points in that direction.