Why can JWST not image the surface of a planet orbiting Proxima Centauri?
Answer
The planet is 100 times smaller than the smallest detail JWST can resolve
The physical limitations of current telescope technology prevent the imaging of planetary surfaces around distant stars. Even with a 6.5-meter primary mirror, the diffraction-limited resolution of the telescope is not fine enough to see a planet as anything more than a single point of light. A planet orbiting Proxima Centauri is approximately 100 times smaller than the smallest detail the telescope could theoretically resolve, making it physically impossible to turn that point of light into a resolved disk or image surface features.
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