This image is a comparison of the images of the Spitzer Space Telescope (left) and the James Webb Space Telescope. Both were taken of the same area of the Large Magellanic Cloud, and a comparison of the two clearly shows that the images from the Webb Telescope are very clear.
The Spitzer Space Telescope, launched in 2003 and completed its mission in 2020, is the first space telescope to capture high-resolution images in near-infrared and mid-infrared light. The image at the beginning was taken with the Spitzer Telescope’s infrared array camera (8.0 μm).
On the other hand, the Webb Telescope image was taken with MIRI (mid-infrared device, 7.7 μm) and is a part of the test image released at the end of April. Web telescope images show interstellar gas with unprecedented clarity, capturing infrared rays from carbon and hydrogen molecules called “PAHs (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons).” Observations using MIRI are expected to bring new insights into the birth of stars and the protoplanetary system.
The Webb Telescope is currently undergoing a test run of scientific observation equipment. Full-scale scientific observations are scheduled to start in the summer of 2022.
Credit: NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI
(See) James Webb Space Telescope –NASA Blogs
Please see the original site (Astropix) for a large image.