The James Webb Space Telescope has been busy examining the farthest point in space since it officially went live earlier this month. While most images released by NASA and researchers to date feature high-quality images of cosmic entities previously captured by Webb’s ancestors, the observatory has now returned the first confirmed images of the TRAPPIST-1 system.
Using data made publicly available by NASA, redditor u/arizonaskies2022 shared the image that they were able to craft the mythical system. Although incredibly pixelated to the untrained eye, the image shows the star system (TRAPPIST-1) using Webb’s Near InfraRed Imager and Slitless Spectrograph (NIRISS).
Scientists have long believed that the system, located within the constellation of Aquarius, could harbor life due to some exoplanets that exhibit Earth-like qualities. In all, seven planets make up the system and each has astounded researchers to the point that they become viral sensations in their own right.
Webb discovered the TRAPPIST system on July 18 and the data was later published as was the norm with other results from the telescope. At least three of the system’s exoplanets lie within the habitable zone, which means that scientists believe these planets may sustain life similar to what is found on Earth.
“If you think about it, it’s further than humanity has ever moved,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson previously said of JWST. “And we are just beginning to understand what Webb can and will do. It will explore objects in the solar system and the atmospheres of exoplanets orbiting other stars, giving us clues as to whether their atmospheres are similar to ours.”
“Our goals with Webb’s first images and data are to showcase the telescope’s powerful instruments and preview the upcoming science mission,” added astronomer Klaus Pontopedan, Webb project scientist at STScI. “They are sure to deliver the long-awaited ‘wow’ to astronomers and the public.”
For more images from the Webb Space Telescope and other cosmic stories, check out the ComicBook Invasion Center here.
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