The James Webb Space Telescope has returned its first imagery, and a teaser image was released today:
The field of vision here is the size of a grain of sand held at arm’s length. That absolutely astonishes me. Also, the visible “warping” effect, like a partial fish-eye lens, is because the galaxy cluster seen here acts as a “gravitational lens”, bending the light waves that have been traversing the Cosmos for billions of years.
More, so much more, to come. Webb is one of the most exciting things I can remember, and I’m so glad that even in times as dark as these humans haven’t shut down the quest for wonder and knowledge. Darkness doesn’t last, but science and knowledge do!
