The first images captured by the James Web Space Telescope, the world’s newest and most powerful space telescope ever produced, were published recently, and these images were extremely impressive. But how high is the image quality of this new telescope, which captures magnificent images of the universe, compared to the Hubble Space Telescope? Now we have a chance to make a visual comparison.
To highlight the power of images captured by the James Web Space Telescope, software developer John Christensen has developed an interactive tool that lets you clearly see the difference between the latest images and those from its predecessor, the Hubble Space Telescope.
Users who connect to https://www.webbcompare.com/index.html over the internet can compare images taken with two different telescopes by swiping the screen. Christensen has also added zoom, pan and full screen modes to its software, giving users the opportunity to make a more detailed comparison.
Images that can be compared include the Southern Ring Nebula, the SMACS 0723 Galaxy Cluster, the Stephan Quintet and the Carina Nebula.
The tool reveals how big the difference in image quality is between the James Web Space Telescope and the Hubble Space Telescope. The high quality of these new images is thought to have the potential to produce numerous scientific results.