Photographer Captures James Webb Space Telescope Flying Across Nebula

 


Amateur astrophotographer Ethan Gone went out recently to shoot a nebula and ended up making a time-lapse of the recently-launched James Webb Space Telescope flying through space.

The photographer states that he had originally set out with the intention of photographing the North America Nebula and the Rosette Nebula.

 

While in the field, however, he became curious about whether his equipment was able to capture the James Webb Space Telescope, which has been creating headlines after its launch on Christmas Day 2021.

 

“When I found it moving in-between frames, I thought I can make a timelapse video of it moving in the sky,” the photographer writes, “so I scratch my plan of the rest of the night, and make JWST the target of the whole night.”

 

The photographs were shot with a $1,799 Celestron RASA 8 telescope, a $999 ZWO ASI183MM Pro monochrome camera, a $2,268 iOptron CEM40 equatorial mount, and an Astronomik H-alpha 12nm filter.

 

In the photos taken that night, the JWST is seen flying past a nebula located in the sky near Alnilam, the central and brightest of the three stars of Orion’s Belt.

 

“I feel very humbled and emotional seeing the small dot flying away, carrying our faith and curiosity, into the dark and cold, yet incredible universe, so I decide to make a video, in hope of sharing the emotions with more people,” the photographer writes.

 

After staying the photos the following day, he realized the nebulosity in the background — it’s a backdrop feature that’s located about 1,300 light-years away from Earth.

 

A still frame by Ethan Gone showing the James Webb Space Telescope flying across a nebula.


 

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