2023-08-08 17:33:17
Par Yona Baron
Published on August 8, 23 at 19:33 See my news Follow News Without officially knowing what it is, the upper part of the question mark is probably part of a large galaxy. (©NASA, ESA, CSA. Image Processing: Joseph DePasquale (STScI))
The new image unveiled by the télescope James Webb is fascinating. We see a multitude of stars and galaxies with different shapes and colors, all on more or less distant planes.
But you will see that this shot is all the more fascinating if you zoom in above. Among the stars, we distinguish what looks like a point d’interrogation. What does that mean, right in the middle of such a deep space shot?
Like an optical illusion
Unfortunately, the universe does not send us a sign, it would have been too good to be true. “It’s the result of chance”, confirms to actu.fr Gilles Dawidowicz, vice-president of the Astronomical Society of France and President of the Commission of Planetology.
Surely you have already recognized a face or a silhouette in a cloud? Well it’s the same thing. To be more precise, it is called a pareidolia.
This process is close to an optical illusion bringing to recognize a familiar shape in a landscape, a cloud, smoke, a stain of ink… Here, the question mark appears as evidence in the middle of all these stars and galaxies.
This cloud of gas and dust makes us think of a question mark, but it has no meaning. If we looked at it from another place in the universe or further away it wouldn’t look like this.
Gilles DawidowiczVice-president of the Astronomical Society of France
But then, what is it?
In fact, we do not know exactly what it is. “The photo is difficult to read,” admits Gilles Dawidowicz. The upper part of the “question mark” is probably part of a large galaxyhe suggests.
It may be a distant galaxy or several galaxies.
Gilles DawidowiczVice-president of the Astronomical Society of France
Here is the image captured by the James Webb Telescope in its entirety. (©NASA, ESA, CSA. Image Processing: Joseph DePasquale (STScI) )
A beautiful show
Beyond this challenging element, we can see the matter that runs through and composes the universe.
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“In the center of the photo, more or less hot gases and plasmas are moving away with incredible hues. This reveals very physical things”, marvels the vice-president of the Astronomical Society of France.
Anything that is orange-red would a priori be very far away.
Gilles DawidowiczVice-president of the Astronomical Society of France
“This image of the deep and distant sky allows us to have a new window on the exceptional distant universe”, continues Gilles Dawidowicz, noting the presence of young stars “in active formation and most certainly old stars dead and gone.” »
Finally, it is not the universe that questions us, but we who question ourselves.
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