There was just one problem: the photo was actually some chorizo. As translated by IGN, Klein originally posted the photo with the caption, “The closest photo of Proxima Centauri, the star closest to the sun, located 4.2 light-years away. Taken by [James Webb Space Telescope]. This level of detail… a new world is revealed day by day.” Photo of Proxima Centauri, the closest star to the Sun, located 4.2 light years from us. Taken by JWST. This level of detail… A new world is unfolding day by day. pic.twitter.com/88UBbHDQ7Z — Etienne KLEIN (@EtienneKlein) July 31, 2022 It quickly emerged that the photo was fake. a scientist’s practical joke. “Well, when it’s aperitif time, cognitive biases seem to have a field day, so watch out for them,” Klein tweeted. “According to modern cosmology, no object belonging to the Spanish deli exists anywhere but on Earth.” He then warned about misinformation on the internet. “When I see some comments, I feel obliged to clarify that the tweet showing an alleged snapshot of Proxima Centauri was a form of entertainment. After that we have to be careful about the arguments of authority as well as the spontaneous eloquence of some images.” If Klein wanted to draw attention to misinformation, then mission accomplished. The tweet was reported in several major publications worldwide and continues to circulate online. Fortunately, there are plenty of real photos from the James Webb Space Telescope, which was successfully deployed on January 24th. The mission of the telescope is to see objects at a great distance and pass out for the Hubble Space Telescope. His first image was tweeted by President Biden, and other images followed. For much more space coverage, learn how Earth recently set a new speed record as well as the growing Space Tourism industry. Images of the James Webb Space Telescope Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN as well as the co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Do you have a tip? DM her at @the_katbot.
