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1. Erin M. May, PhD (_astronomay@mastodon.online)'s status on Saturday, 30-Apr-2022 12:23:42 UTC Erin M. May, PhD

   Did you see the news that all of the #JWST instruments are aligned now?

   Check out this comparison of one of the newly released calibration images from the MIRI instrument compared to images taken of the same region of space by the WISE and Spitzer space telescopes! Look at that resolution! So many newly resolved stars and structures! 🤩

   I can't wait for all the new discoveries we'll make with JWST! #Science data starts in only a couple months!

   (Image from @/AndrasGasper on birdapp)

   • Tagomago (tagomago@mastodon.social)'s status on Saturday, 30-Apr-2022 14:44:20 UTC Tagomago

     in reply to

     @_astronoMay I guess JWST is new James Webb thingy. Wow, friggin remarkable. I can see for miles and miles and miles and miles and...

   • Tagomago (tagomago@mastodon.social)'s status on Saturday, 30-Apr-2022 15:36:53 UTC Tagomago

     in reply to

     @_astronoMay Uh-oh... wasn't aware, good call. I often watch astrophysics and space related videos, and I understood that among other things this telescope will be able to see like what molecules are present in exoplanets’ atmospheres thanks to its infrared technology. Which is so mind-boggling. Is that correct?

   • Erin M. May, PhD (_astronomay@mastodon.online)'s status on Saturday, 30-Apr-2022 15:36:54 UTC Erin M. May, PhD

     in reply to

     • Tagomago

     @tagomago yep, That's what JWST stands for. Many astronomers do not use the actual name, though, because of who the telescope is named after. You can read more here:

     https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/new-revelations-raise-pressure-on-nasa-to-rename-the-james-webb-space-telescope/

   • Tagomago (tagomago@mastodon.social)'s status on Saturday, 30-Apr-2022 15:47:26 UTC Tagomago

     in reply to

     @_astronoMay Wow... like almost 👋 hi-hi, alien beings! You must be excited to say the least. When will the first formal projects start using the telescope?

   • Erin M. May, PhD (_astronomay@mastodon.online)'s status on Saturday, 30-Apr-2022 15:47:27 UTC Erin M. May, PhD

     in reply to

     • Tagomago

     @tagomago yes! That's actually what I study! With the Hubble space telescope we've only really been looking for water in giant exoplanet atmospheres because of the limited wavelengths it can study, but with JWST we'll be able to search for a lot of different molecules, including finding atmosphere or *maybe* biosignature gases on rocky exoplanets! 🔭