James Webb Telescope Quotes

Meanwhile, John Barentine, an astronomer with the Arizona-based dark-sky conservation organization Dark Sky Consulting, found a more accidental finding in one of JWST's first photographs. The image of the Southern Ring Nebula, which is 2,500 light-years away from Earth, was exceptionally clear. A fascinating galaxy seen on the edge-on (a unique vantage position for examining the galaxy's core bulge) popped into view off to the side, earlier misunderstood as part of the nebula itself. "We have this extremely sensitive equipment that will disclose stuff we didn't even know we were searching for," Barentine said. "It's worth looking about in the backdrop of practically every photograph Webb shoots.