Space telescope’s image of star gets photobombed by galaxies

Category: Technology/Innovations

Listening

Unlocking Word Meanings

Read the following words/expressions found in today’s article.

  1. spiky / ˈspaɪ ki / (adj.) – used to describe something that has many sharp points
    Example:

    I like keeping cactuses, but I need to be careful because they’re very spiky.


  2. hexagonal / hɛkˈsæg ə nl / (adj.) – having a shape with six sides and six corners
    Example:

    Hexagonal buildings are uncommon. Most have only four sides.


  3. giddy / ˈgɪd i / (adj.) – feeling happy and excited, especially when shown in one’s behavior
    Example:

    The teenager was giddy after receiving a ticket to her favorite band’s concert.


  4. faint / feɪnt / (adj.) – not clear or strong enough to be easily seen, heard, etc.
    Example:

    It was a very faint whisper, so I didn’t hear what he said.


  5. blast off / blæst ɔf / (phrasal v.) – to launch or take off, especially of a rocket or missile
    Example:

    The rocket blasted off to space.


Article

Read the text below.

NASA’s new space telescope has gazed into the distant universe and shown perfect vision: a spiky image of a faraway star photobombed by thousands of ancient galaxies.


The image released Wednesday from the James Webb Space Telescope is a test shot — not an official science observation — to see how its 18 hexagonal mirrors worked together for a single coordinated image taken 1 million miles (1.6 million kilometers) away from Earth. Officials said it worked better than expected.


Last month, NASA looked at a much closer star with 18 separate images from its mirror segments.


Scientists said they were giddy as they watched the latest test photos arrive. NASA’s test image was aimed at a star 100 times fainter than the human eye can see — 2,000 light-years away. A light-year is nearly 6 trillion miles (9.7 trillion kilometers).


The shape of Webb’s mirrors and its filters made the shimmering star look more red and spiky but the background really stole the show.


“You can’t help but see those thousands of galaxies behind it, really gorgeous,” said Jane Rigby, Webb operations project scientist.


Those galaxies are several billions of years old. Eventually, scientists hope Webb will see so faraway and back in time that it will only be “a couple hundred million years after the Big Bang,” she said.


The first science images won’t come until late June or early July.


The $10 billion Webb — successor to the nearly 32-year-old Hubble Space Telescope — blasted off from South America in December and reached its designated perch in January.


This article was provided by The Associated Press.


Viewpoint Discussion

Enjoy a discussion with your tutor.

Discussion A

  • The Webb Space Telescope cost $10 billion. How do you think the scientists at NASA can make the most of this investment (ex. capture as many space images as possible, maintain it well so it lasts longer)? Discuss. 
  • If you have control over a $10 billion fund, which project/s or organization/s would you invest it in? Why? Discuss.

Discussion B

  • Do you like looking at photos of nature? What’s a natural phenomenon or object that you’d like to see in person (ex. northern lights/aurora, a large number of fireflies)? Discuss. 
  • NASA’s scientists said they were giddy as they watched the latest test photos from the Webb Space Telescope arrive. What usually causes you to feel giddy? Why? Discuss.