James Webb Space Telescope begins historic mission

[etpm]

I have been looking at the latest images from the James Webb telescope. The images, compared to images taken by other telescopes at similar frequencies, are spectacular. Another thing to consider is that all the imaging done by this telescope and others run by NASA is that all the imaging is available to everybody. I'm pretty sure all the raw data is as well.

Of note concerning the images is our perception of light. Often times astronomers and other scientists speak of "optical" light. They mean light that the human eye can see. When we look at something we see a large range of colors. However, when the actual span of frequencies of optical light is compared to the span of frequencies of the electromagnetic radiation spectrum it is tiny. Even though the James Webb telescope is "only" looking at infrared light the actual frequency range is quite large. And when we see images that are only in shades of red they are false colors. The telescope is seeing light that our eyes cannot see. So showing the images in just shades of red gives us a false idea of what the telescope is really seeing. If our eyes could only see in frequencies above ultra violet then a telescope that could only see the light we see now would also show images that were shades of "red", red being the color of light that is of lower frequency than whatever light you are able to see. I expect that when the folks at NASA start assigning colors we can see to the various frequencies that the Webb telescope can see we will be truly amazed at the images. Comparing the images shown so far to the "optical" images coming from the Hubble telescope gives us a false idea of the scope and depth of the light that the James Webb telescope is seeing. It makes the Webb 'scope images seem monochrome when they are anything but monochrome. Lower frequencies of light penetrate dust and gas that block optical light. So the Webb 'scope can and will be seeing objects that Hubble can't see.

The science that the James Webb telescope is going to be doing is so worth it and the knowledge it will add to humanity will be great. Great in volume and value.
Eric

 

[sd455dan]

YEP, waiting for them to point (once fully functional) in a direction that the Hubble showed empty space in "deep field."

Also point it to an area where Hubble has had trouble with dust obscuring visible light.

Want to see images of Sagittarius A Milky Way center Supermassive Black hole

Can't wait.

Another One small step for man, One giant Leap for mankind. moments to come.

Did I say can't wait?

well while waiting for Webb...

wish # 3 above may have some new data/ image of The supermassive Black hole at Milky Way center
according to Anton very soon May 12th

 

[etpm]

well while waiting for Webb...

wish # 3 above may have some new data/ image of The supermassive Black hole at Milky Way center
according to Anton very soon May 12th

Yeah, I really want to see this. The black hole pictures are an prime example of false color because the radio telescopes used to do the imaging are seeing radio waves. Much lower frequency than what we can see. But also remarkable technology and precision was used to image that black hole. Radio telescopes on either side of the world were used. And then the radio waves they saw had to be combined into an image. So the time when the radio telescopes received the radio waves had to be perfectly matched. And the amount of data that each 'scope collected had to be stored on massive hard drives which then had to be flown to a central computing point because that was by far the fastest way to get all the data to one central point.
Eric

 

[sd455dan]

I find it interesting that they are calling it the "biggest" announcement since 2019, hope we are not disappointed, with that kind of billing.

Maybe they are going to image the same spot with Webb and release images together.

I mean what a first fully operational official image for Webb.

The center of OUR Galaxy and a Supermassive Black Hole In One from radio telescope leading tech and Webb...

 

[ovrszd]

I find it interesting that they are calling it the "biggest" announcement since 2019, hope we are not disappointed, with that kind of billing.

Maybe they are going to image the same spot with Webb and release images together.

I mean what a first fully operational official image for Webb.

The center of OUR Galaxy and a Supermassive Black Hole In One from radio telescope leading tech and Webb...

I'm not pleased with the hype being pushed concerning Webb. Let's just be patient. Wait for Webb to be fully capable. Then discuss the product.

I've saw images "claimed" to be from Webb that were when it hadn't even fully deployed yet.

I'm excited about this and anxious to see what Webb sees.

 

[sd455dan]

Right, Sorry, I was just speculating, by adding in Webb.
Because the "timing."

The "Biggest announcement since 2019" Was a ( in direct reference) to the worldwide radio telescopes and the data processing producing a new image of the Sagittarius A area, and like etpm points out, this would also be a false color image likely of the Supermassive Black Hole, And it may be a jaw dropper.
All Very Exciting Stuff.

On the 12th we will have the Radio telescopes new data processed image from/of Sagittarius A

 

[ovrszd]

Right, Sorry, I was just speculating, by adding in Webb.
Because the "timing."

The "Biggest announcement since 2019" Was a ( in direct reference) to the worldwide radio telescopes and the data processing producing a new image of the Sagittarius A area, and like etpm points out, this would also be a false color image likely of the Supermassive Black Hole, And it may be a jaw dropper.
All Very Exciting Stuff.

On the 12th we will have the Radio telescopes new data processed image from/of Sagittarius A

No worries. I'm very excited about all this. It's like I'm expecting some great revelation. I'm probably setting my sights a little high.

 

[ArlyA]

NASA Releases Ridiculously Sharp Webb Space Telescope Images​

The telescope achieved a "perfect" alignment, according to Webb scientists.​

By
Isaac Schultz



The Large Magellanic Cloud as seen by Webb’s MIRI instrument.Image: NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI

NASA held a press conference Monday morning to discuss the precise alignment of the Webb Space Telescope and the spacecraft’s upcoming scientific operations. The space agency also released images from the telescope that put Webb’s progress on dazzling display.

“I’m delighted to report that the telescope alignment has been completed with performance even better than we had anticipated,” said Michael McElwain, a Webb observatory project scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, in a NASA press conference. “This is an extraordinary milestone for humanity.”

 

[sd455dan]

Well while waiting for Webb,

Image of Sagittarius A is in from the radio telescopes:

The Milky Way’s Black Hole Comes to Light (Published 2022)

The Event Horizon Telescope has once again caught sight of the “unseeable.”

www.nytimes.com

 

[ArlyA]

Meteor update!
----------------------------
A tiny rock fragment has hit the new James Webb Space Telescope's main mirror.
The damage inflicted by the dust-sized micrometeoroid is producing a noticeable effect in the observatory's data but is not expected to limit the mission's overall performance.
James Webb was launched in December to succeed the revolutionary - but now ageing - Hubble Space Telescope.
Astronomers are due to release its first views of the cosmos on 12 July.
The US space agency Nasa said these images would be no less stunning because of what's just happened.