JWST First Image

[EddMarkStarr]

The distances in space are so vast that the light from the earliest galaxies left a very, very long time ago.

 

[NotHardUp1]

It's a bit depressing to think that the majority of them are moving away from Earth and our galaxy at appalling speed.

We already had the challenge of transcending unfathomable expanses of space to get to any other possible intelligent life, or any life for that matter. Now we have to do it while chasing galaxies that are rocketing away from us.

I wonder if they'll develop software that can delete the dead ones, assuming the theories will mature enough that they can project the likely deaths of stars and galaxies from their apparent developmental stages.

This all seems so, so far off in our future, many centuries. I champion redirecting the current focus of science dollars to the Earth and its oceans to help us survive what we have wrought on our own planet.

 

[Rickrock]

Thanks for the comparison EddMarkStarr. That gives irt more perspective.

 

[EddMarkStarr]

It's a bit depressing to think that the majority of them are moving away from Earth and our galaxy at appalling speed.

We already had the challenge of transcending unfathomable expanses of space to get to any other possible intelligent life, or any life for that matter. Now we have to do it while chasing galaxies that are rocketing away from us.

I wonder if they'll develop software that can delete the dead ones, assuming the theories will mature enough that they can project the likely deaths of stars and galaxies from their apparent developmental stages.

This all seems so, so far off in our future, many centuries. I champion redirecting the current focus of science dollars to the Earth and its oceans to help us survive what we have wrought on our own planet.

Close-ups of the James Webb Space Telescope images simply do not look real to me!



While I find it sad to think that distant objects are moving away from us at ever faster speeds, there are two exceptions I know of.

Polaris, the triple star system, or "the North Star", is headed directly toward us. In a few million years, the earth's sky will certainly host a very bright visitor.

But long before Polaris enters our neighborhood, it will be overtaken by the Andromeda galaxy, which is on a collision course with the Milky Way galaxy.
The two galaxies are already so close that the Milky Way and Andromeda are already gravitationally locked. From our human perspective, its now just a matter of time.

 

[NotHardUp1]

But long before Polaris enters our neighborhood, it will be overtaken by the Andromeda galaxy, which is on a collision course with the Milky Way galaxy.
The two galaxies are already so close that the Milky Way and Andromeda are already gravitationally locked. From our human perspective, its now just a matter of time.

And if I remember correctly, when galaxies collide, the astronomers tell us they don't actually collide, the star systems being so distant apart that they pass THROUGH one another, a type of skelping, to quote Steve Gutenberg.

Of course, heading "toward" us is very relative, and Polaris might appear more the size of an eraser tip instead of a pinhead. Won't THAT be horrifying?

 

[gsdx]

^ Exactly. The stars won't necessarily collide, but gravity will pretty-much mess things up. There are a number of computer simulations with differing results, but, whatever happens, it will be one helluva light show.

 

[NotHardUp1]

 

[m1thousand]

And in 15 years, we'll find out the images were doctured

 

[NotHardUp1]

Nah. We already know they do that.

They have to make the "photos" sexy, so they inject bright contrasts and enhance the digital images. NASA has a vested interest in making the universe sexier and poster-worthy.

They are selling a dream, and they know their very jobs depend on it.