Released in December 2021, the NASA’s James Webb Telescope It constitutes one of the great technological advances in history. The ability to explore our universe is enormous, and more and more discoveries are being made every day thanks to it.
But many criticize that it is deficient for photos of exoplanets, although extraordinary for those of galaxies. An important example is from exoplanet HIP 65426 b, a gas giant with no rocky surface.
The photo taken by the James Webb Telescope it is that of a fuzzy point. With four different specificities in the NIRCam and MIRI tools, four types of images of the planet outside the Solar System were observed.
If you didn’t see the picture, we leave it here.
But the galaxy photos are impressive, very sharp, all works of art. we leave you here the link with the 10 best photographs Captured by the James Webb Telescope.
Why the notable difference between one type and the other? explains it Tomás Rivero, from Hipertextual.
The reasons why the James Webb Telescope takes better photos of galaxies than exoplanets
According to the expert, the reason is on the physics of celestial bodies and their ability to emit light, along with used cameras.
Exoplanets do not emit their own light, reflecting that of the star they orbit, which is very diffuse. “This already diffuse light has to face the wear and tear of traveling over cosmic distances, and when the photons reach our planet, a lot of information has already been lost,” Rivero emphasizes.
In the case of galaxies, the amount of light is greater, since they are structures much larger than a planet, in addition to having their own light thanks to the stars, gases and accumulations of dust.
“Upon reaching Earth, these formations can be examined in more detail, because not so much information has been lost along the way”, indicates Rivero.
We can only continue to enjoy and be amazed by the discoveries of the Webb Space Telescope, with greater or lesser clarity. but we already know the reasons for quality, high or low, of each celestial body.