The first and the latest Jupiter image show how far astronomy has come
Aug 31, 2022
Dunja Đuđić
Dunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, concerts, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.
Share:
Comparing James Webb Telescope’s photos to those taken with Hubble already shows how much astronomy has progressed over the last century and a half. And not just astronomy, but photography and technology as well.
Now imagine comparing the first ever and the most recently taken photo of the same celestial object. Astronomer Jasmine Singh did just that: she compared the first-ever photo of Jupiter taken in 1879 with the latest photo JWST sent back and left us all in awe. Needless to say, the difference between the photos is striking!
The earliest image ever taken of Jupiter in 1879 vs. the most recent composite image of Jupiter taken by JWST: pic.twitter.com/we2HRTe49S
— Jasmine 🌌🔭 (@astro_jaz) August 27, 2022
Irish astronomer Agnes Mary Clerke took the very first photo of Jupiter. It was in 1879, 143 years before JWST sent back its whimsical image that shows the plantet in incredible detail. Clerke’s photo was published it in her book A Popular History of Astronomy During the Nineteenth Century, and you can take a look at it here.
Fast forward nearly 150 years, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope sent back its magnificent composite showing Jupiter’s auroras at each polar end of the planet. The photos were taken with Webb’s powerful Near-Infrared Camera. It has three specialized IR filters that reveal the details of the planet.
As I said earlier, this comparison only shows how much the technology, photography, and astronomy have improved and grown with time. And as it appears now, they will only get better and more advanced with time.
[via PetaPixel]
Dunja Đuđić
Dunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, concerts, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.
Related Posts
Latest images from James Webb telescope show Jupiter’s own auroras in incredible detail
A sign of things to come? Latest CIPA numbers show camera sales seem to be recovering
NASA’s $1bn Juno probe just sent back the most amazing images of Jupiter so far
Photographing the World’s Most Dangerous Church: How Far Is Too Far To “Get The Shot”?
Join the Discussion
DIYP Comment Policy
Be nice, be on-topic, no personal information or flames.
5 responses to “The first and the latest Jupiter image show how far astronomy has come”
I would like to see.. Uranus…
By astronomy you mean digital artists
Also a good illustration of how much the Great Red Spot has shrunk over the years.
The author of the 1879 photograph of Jupiter was not Agnes Clerke. She simply published this photograph in her book. In the text of that book, Clerke described in detail who photographed Jupiter, when, and how. It was Andrew Common.
The author of the 1879 photograph of Jupiter was not Agnes Clerke. She simply published this photograph in her book. In the text of that book, Clerke described in detail who photographed Jupiter, when, and how. It was Andrew Common.
An excerpt from the book on page 490:
“The vignette includes two specimens of planetary photography. The Jupiter, with the great red spot conspicuous in the southern hemisphere, is by Dr. Common. It dates from September 3, 1879, and was accordingly one of the earliest results with his 36-inch, the direct image in which imprinted itself in a fraction of a second, and was subsequently enlarged on paper about twelve times. The exquisite little picture of Saturn was taken at Paris by MM. Paul and Prosper Henry, December 21, 1885, with their 124-inch photographic refractor. The telescopic image was in this case magnified eleven times previous to being photographed, an exposure of abont five seconds being allowed; and the total enlargement, as it now appears, is nineteen times. A trace of the dusky ring percep – tible on the original negative, is lost in the print”.