US releases first picture from Webb space telescope
Humanity's view of the distant cosmos will never be the same. The James Webb Space Telescope, the most powerful to be placed in orbit, has revealed the clearest image to date of the early universe, going back 13 billion years, Nasa said on Monday. The stunning shot, released in a White House briefing by President Joe Biden, is overflowing with thousands of galaxies and features some of the faintest objects observed, colourised in blue, orange and white tones. Known as Webb's First Deep Field, it shows the galaxy cluster SMACS 0723, which acts as a gravitational lens, bending light from more distant galaxies behind it towards the observatory, in a cosmic magnification effect. Webb's primary imager NIRCam – which operates in the near infrared wavelength spectrum because light from the early universe has been stretched out by the time it reaches us – has brought these faint background galaxies into focus. Webb compiled the composite shot in 12.5 hours, achieving well beyond what its predecessor the Hubble Space Telescope could in weeks. UK-based space consultant and author David Baker told RTHK that the image from the new space telescope shows the universe as it looked 4.6 billion years ago, about the same time our solar system formed. “Now when we get the better images, the much more spectacular ones, we’re going to be seeing virtually to the very dawn of creation itself for this universe.”  Baker explained the cosmic observatory is situated 1.6 million kilometres away, which is four times the distance of Earth to the Moon. By comparison the Hubble Telescope is a few hundred kilometres above Earth.   “It’s going to be sitting there possibly, hopefully for the next 20 years sending vast amounts of imagery and data that will be a total quantum step, not only for astronomers, but for the whole of humanity seeking deep answers to vexing questions regarding is there life elsewhere in the universe? What is dark matter?”   The next wave of images on Tuesday will reveal details about the atmosphere of a faraway gas planet, a "stellar nursery" where stars form, a "quintet" of galaxies locked in a dance of close encounters, and the cloud of gas around a dying star. (Additional reporting by AFP)______________________________
Last updated: 2022-07-12 HKT 20:55 