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Ask HN: What is the vanishing Spitzer-Webb star?

2 points by jethkl ↗ HN
The gif [1] that compares resolution between the Spitzer and Webb telescopes shows a star that appears in Spitzer's image, but it is not present in Webb's. Any astrophysicists here have an explanation?

To find this star, start with the 4 nearly co-linear bright stars. Below and to the right of the topmost of that group is a spot that exists in the Spitzer image, but it fades out as the Webb image fades in.

[1] https://blogs.nasa.gov/webb/wp-content/uploads/sites/326/2022/05/spitzer_vs_webb_LMC.gif

2 comments

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code_Whisperer
It's interesting. When I was younger (and more active as an amateur astronomer) we used a homemade blink comparator to hunt for asteroids/minor planets, which works on this same principle. Do you have the source links for these to determine how much time elapsed between these two images? There is actually another movement in this same image (about 80% down from the top and just to the right of center there is a trio of stars... the rightmost one in the trio moves down and to the left in the higher res photo). Depending on the amount of time between these two images, could be parallax/motion from a much closer star, could be an asteroid or similar object, could be data anomaly, could be lots of things. One thing I know, however... that's no moon.