--- title: "James Webb Telescope Spots Giant Question Mark in Space" description: "NASA's James Webb Space Telescope spotted a small celestial object shaped almost perfectly like a question mark." date: "2023-08-01" modified: "2023-08-01" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/james-webb-telescope-giant-question-mark" categories: - "James Webb Space Telescope" - "NASA" - "Space" tags: - "infrared" - "james webb space telescope" - "the digest" --- # James Webb Telescope Spots Giant Question Mark in Space ![NASA's James Webb Space Telescope spotted a small celestial object shaped almost perfectly like a question mark.]() *\Image: NASA\* ## Just Asking Questions NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has [taken a stunning picture]() of a young star system some 1,470 light-years away called Herbig-Haro 46/47, comprised of two nascent stars caught in a tight embrace as they spin around each other. But if you zoom in close enough towards the bottom center of the stunning infrared image, you can spot a small celestial object shaped almost perfectly like a question mark, as if it was baffled by its own existence. And fittingly, we're still not entirely sure what the glowing orange symbol actually is. ![]() ## Space Quiz Fortunately, [*Space.com* reached out]() to some experts to get a better idea. "It is probably a distant galaxy, or potentially interacting galaxies (their interactions may have caused the distorted question mark-shape)," representatives of the Space Telescope Science Institute, which manages the telescope's science operations, told the outlet. Since it appears red in the observation, it's quite far away, according to the institute. "This may be the first time we've seen this particular object," the representatives added. "Additional follow-up would be required to figure out what it is with any certainty. Webb is showing us many new, distant galaxies — so there's a lot of new science to be done!" Matt Caplan, an assistant professor of physics at Illinois State University, went a step further, telling *Space.com* that it "could easily be merging galaxies in the background, with the upper part of the question mark being part of a larger galaxy getting tidally disrupted." "Given the color of some of the other background galaxies, this doesn't seem like the worst explanation," he added. "Despite how chaotic mergers are, double lobed objects with curvy tails extending away from them are very typical." In short, the question mark will remain, well, a giant question mark in the sky — at least for now. **More on James Webb:** *[Amazing Video Soars Through James Webb's Dazzling 3D View of Universe]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()