Comments on: More Webb images released

By: sippin_bourbon

sippin_bourbon — Thu, 14 Jul 2022 22:49:35 +0000

You are correct, Mr Z, the objects with the flares or spikes are indeed stars.

They are “in the foreground” of the image.

While it was already known that this was a binary system, the IR image makes it remarkably clear to see.

Astronomers have, in the last decade, realized how binaries are much more common that we originally thought.

By: Alex Andrite

Alex Andrite — Wed, 13 Jul 2022 15:51:53 +0000

… followed the links referenced. Great info.
Regarding the ‘Quintet’ … “The field of view shown in this image is approximately 370,000 light-years across.”
Field of view, not depth / distance. Incredible beauty.

Class, we now have a brand new Microscope in the classroom !!
Bring your sample of pond water tomorrow, and we will all take a look.

By: Jeff Wright

Jeff Wright — Wed, 13 Jul 2022 06:45:00 +0000

I think the pix’ with the orange glow result from the gold mirror-coat-the purest image perhaps used to inspect the mirror surface by starlight?

By: Edward

Edward — Wed, 13 Jul 2022 02:27:34 +0000

Tim M,
Call Me Ishmael is correct that this is a feature of the optics and the way the telescope is built. It is similar to the lens “flares” we see in some music videos when the lens points too close to a bright light source. The stars are brighter, so this feature is more prominent than in the target object. The six main points are 60˚ apart. Ishmael points out two fainter horizontal points that have a similar cause, the construction of the telescope. Seeing them in some stars but not others is a bit like having a portion of the image overexposed in order to get the detail of the fainter target object.

By: Call Me Ishmael

Call Me Ishmael — Tue, 12 Jul 2022 20:19:16 +0000

“… 6 point star like we learned to draw in grade school. Is this a function of the shape of the mirrors …”

Diffraction spikes. The mirror is hexagonal, and made up of (I forget how many) smaller hexagonal segments. So the mirror’s diffraction pattern (i.e. the theoretical shape of the image it creates from a true point source) is going have 6-fold symmetry.

Although the one I’m looking at, at bottom right in the top image, actually has 8-fold symmetry. ????? I’m still willing to bet they’re diffraction spikes.

By: Robert Zimmerman

Robert Zimmerman — Tue, 12 Jul 2022 19:46:06 +0000

In reply to Tim M. Tim M: I am not certain and could be wrong, but those 6-pointed points are the only stars in this image. Notice that the tiny galaxies do not have the 6-points. My guess is that Webb's focus in this image is optimized for seeing the faint galaxies in the far far distance, and thus the stars are not rendered as sharp points of light.

By: Tim M

Tim M — Tue, 12 Jul 2022 19:28:41 +0000

I do believe the Webb is just on the cusp of some amazing research and beautiful images of the cosmos. I do have, what I think is, a technical question. I expected the bright points of light to be round, however, every one is rendered in the images as a 6 point star like we learned to draw in grade school. Is this a function of the shape of the mirrors or part of the photographic processing?