NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has followed up on observations by the Hubble Space Telescope of the farthest star ever detected in the very distant universe, within the first billion years after the big bang. Webb’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) instrument reveals the star to be a massive B-type star more than twice as hot as our Sun, and about a million times more luminous.
And for you, Frodo Baggins, I give you the light of Earendel, our most distant star. May it be a light to you in dark places when all other lights go out.
Fun fact: technically this means Galadriel gave Frodo the light of her son in law’s dad. Though technically speaking the light came from trees thousands of years ago, and was contained in one of 3 jewels by a dude that was inspired to do so because he was simping for Galadriel so hard.
Galadriel: And for you, Frodo Baggins, I give you the light of my daughter’s husband’s father
Frodo: So what does that make us?
Galadriel: Absolutely nothing
Oh hey, the star’s name really is a reference to Tolkien’s Earendil!
Nice spot that!!
