I’m Obsessed With These *Stellar* Memes Of The New Space Telescope Pics
Still waiting for those alien selfies, though.
If you’re a space-fanatic, or if you’ve just been on Twitter recently, you probably know President Joe Biden released the most detailed photo of the universe to date on July 11, courtesy of NASA’s newest telescope, the James Webb Space Telescope. The space program also unveiled even more impressive shots from the cosmos on July 12, but as soon as the pics hit Twitter, users couldn’t help but use the images for their true purpose — memes. Whether you’re into astronomy or just appreciate a good joke, these James Webb Telescope memes will send you to space.
The James Webb Space Telescope has been exploring the cosmos for over six months, but it wasn’t until President Biden released the first photo from the telescope during a White House event on July 11 that the public got a glimpse of the universe through the telescope’s eye. The sparkly shot, or Webb’s First Deep Field, as NASA is (boringly) calling it, might look like the telescope just photographed a bunch of stars, but it actually depicts galaxy cluster SMACS 0723 as it appeared 4.6 billion years ago, and captures detailed traces of light that’ve traveled for 13.1 billion years.
Yup. Billion with a B. let that sink in for a minute.
The photograph made quite the frenzy online for its sharp imagery and captivating colors, and even got the likes of Neil deGrasse Tyson, Elon Musk, and former President Barack Obama to geek out on Twitter.
The next day, NASA released even more images from the telescope that included the “Cosmic Cliffs” in the Carina nebula, a dying star releasing its final bits of gas, and collection of five galaxies called Stephan’s Quintet. The photos are equally as stunning as the OG galaxy cluster snap, but in true Twitter fashion, it only took a few days for the photographs to go from an impressive feat in the history of space exploration, to a full-on meme.
Shen Yun is everywhere.
Can’t beat that view.
Five-star album, five-star meme.
What do bowling alleys know that we don’t?
Of course ALF would be in space.
This shot is so gorgeous, they should make a movie about it.
This would be a nightmare come true for me, TBH.
If this is what space is like, then I’m ready to go right now.
ICYDK, the James Webb Space Telescope is an infrared telescope featuring a mirror approximately 6.5 meters (or 21 feet) wide, and is able to capture fine details from light years away that’ve never been seen before. Development for the telescope, which was named after former NASA administrator James Webb, began back in 2004 after NASA decided to create a replacement for the Hubble Space Telescope. After a number of years-long delays, the James Webb Space Telescope was finally launched into space on Dec. 25, 2021.
According to NASA, the telescope will serve as the “premier observatory for the next decade,” which means you can expect to see some seriously stunning space shots until 2032.
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