Conspiracy theorists insist Nasa’s Webb Telescope images are fakes

The telescope cost $10bn and 20 years to build before being sent out into space

Nasa may have released the first stunning pictures from the $10bn James Webb Space Telescope, but some conspiracy theorists insist they’re fakes.

The stunning first images from the largest space telescope ever built include a massive group of galaxy clusters and the Carina Nebula where stars are born.

President Joe Biden revealed the first picture from the telescope on Monday, before Nasa made another five public on Tuesday.

“Webb’s first full-color images are now the world’s to enjoy! We hope you found them as meaningful and beautiful as we did. Here’s to many years of Webb science — we can’t wait to see what’s next as we continue to #UnfoldtheUniverse,” tweeted Nasa.

Apparently, this proof is not enough for some conspiracy theorists who have tried to cast doubt on the photograph’s authenticity. The critics claim the images were photoshopped or staged using other means - including a kaleidoscope.

“A trick in photography is to put a shear stocking over the lens pulled tight—you get light sparkles. Welcome to 80’s glamour shots NASA,” wrote one person on Telegram.

This image released by NASA on Tuesday, July 12, 2022, shows the edge of a nearby, young, star-forming region NGC 3324 in the Carina Nebula. (AP)

Another user on the social media app asked which “graphic designer at Nasa” should get credit for coming up with the images.

Some Twitter users were also quick to brand the pictures as fraudulent.

(AP)

“IS anyone watching the FAKE information NASA is live streaming about the James Webb telescope that’s up there So now they’ll continue to show us computer Generated HD Pictures NOO video MIND YOU LOL,” tweeted one user.

“Fake picture come on... it’s so edited,” added another

“The new Nasa pictures are fake,” wrote another Twitter user.

The Webb Telescope embarked on its million-mile journey in December 2021 after a two-decade build process.