If you are puzzled about daily life, it seems that outer space shares your opinion. NASA found a question mark shape in an image from the James Webb Space Telescope. JSWT teased the mysterious object as a mere distant galaxy out of focus. However, it fueled the imagination online, sparking numerous hilarious jokes and memes.
Many people refer to the vast expanse of space as the “final frontier.” The universe is infinitely expanding, inspiring countless movies and stories about what might be out there. Fortunately, NASA helps the world to look through that black curtain. We should expect strange phenomena, like the possibility of a giant punctuation mark!
This article will discuss the NASA question mark and share explanations from various experts. Next, I’ll cover what ordinary people thought about the strange celestial body.
What is NASA’s question mark?
Space.com first reported on the unusual space phenomenon. He said the European Space Agency’s James Webb Space Telescope team released images of two developing stars 1,470 light-years from Earth.
JSWT names the stars Herbig-Haro 46 and 47. We have not confirmed what these objects are at the time of writing, but some researchers shared their thoughts.
Representatives from the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) told Space.com: “It’s probably a distant galaxy or potentially interacting galaxies (their interactions may have caused the distorted question mark shape).”
“This may be the first time we have seen this particular object. Additional follow up would be required to find out what it is for sure. Webb is showing us a lot of new and distant galaxies, so there’s a lot of new science to do!” the experts added.
STScl says that the red color of the object suggests that it is very far away. More importantly, it is the first cosmic question mark astronomers have seen. Additionally, Illinois State University professor Matt Caplan told the space news outlet that NASA’s question mark could be the merger of two galaxies.
“The two distinct ones could easily be merging galaxies in the background, with the top of the question mark being part of a larger galaxy that is tidally disrupted.”
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“Given the color of some of the other background galaxies, this doesn’t seem like the worst explanation. As chaotic as the mergers are, two-lobed objects with lobed objects with curved tails extending away from them are very typical.”
The professor believes that it could represent other celestial bodies, except a star. Caplan explained that he lacks the eight-pointed refraction spikes that starlight emits when it hits the telescope’s mirrors.
However, we can expect more surprising discoveries thanks to the JWST. Its high-resolution near-infrared imaging capabilities give you a glimpse into deep space.
How did people react?
Photo credit: scoopwhoop.com
The NASA question mark spread quickly online, prompting many to share jokes and memes. For example, most Reddit posts allude to video game mechanics.
For example, RemarkableToast said, “Looks like NASA has a mission to deliver.” Completing objectives or missions in the game requires players to notify a non-playable character with a punctuation mark at the top.
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Droideater had a similar joke: quick, turn in that mission. The XP will be stellar! The acronym refers to the experience points that players receive after completing objectives.
Additionally, Redditor Oldjames 47 commented, “It’s a 10 billion light-year escort quest, but the NPC moves to 1% of C.” NPCs are non-playable characters that follow the players during escort missions.
Others joked that it was video game content loading in the distance. “It’s not a big deal. That part of the space hasn’t been rendered yet,” Horrus70 said. Some joked that it was part of downloadable content for a video game. “God out here hitting us with that DLC,” said FarewellAndroid.
Conclusion
NASA discovered a mysterious figure shaped like a question mark in space. Many experts believe it is a blurry snapshot of distant galaxies merging.
Of course, most people on the internet were just amused by the bizarre photo by sharing memes and pranks. The space agency has not confirmed what it is at the time of writing.
However, we can expect more interesting cosmic discoveries thanks to the James Webb Space Telescope. Check out more digital trends on Inquirer Tech.
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