The James Webb Space Telescope's unique visual trademark includes extra diffraction spikes, resulting in images that showcase stars spectacularly, distinguishing them from other telescopes like Hubble.
These diffraction spikes are visual artifacts, stemming from the telescope's internal structure and the interaction of light with its mirrors and struts, rather than the true appearance of stars.
The Webb's design involves a secondary mirror supported by three struts, which leads to the creation of six noticeable diffraction spikes, supplemented by two additional barely visible spikes.
The arrangement and shape of the primary mirror and the support struts play a crucial role in the diffraction pattern, thus influencing the telescope's distinctive imaging outcome.
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