A Grain of Sand
Hold up a grain of sand at arm’s length. The patch of sky it covers holds thousands of galaxies.
What’s going on
In July 2022 the James Webb Space Telescope spent 12.5 hours on one tiny patch of sky; NASA compared it to a grain of sand held at arm’s length. The picture shows thousands of galaxies. A galaxy cluster in front acts as a natural magnifying glass, bending and enlarging light from galaxies far behind it. Some of that light has been travelling for more than 13 billion years.
Myth
Every speck in a deep-sky picture is a star.
Fact
Almost all of them are whole galaxies, many holding billions of stars.
Learn more
NASA, “NASA’s Webb Delivers Deepest Infrared Image of Universe Yet” (12 July 2022); ESA, “Webb’s First Deep Field”.
Play Myth or Fact? Read out either the sentence on the card or the myth above. Can everyone tell which is true?
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