Sac State Planetarium Showcases New Images From James Webb Space Telescope

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Visiting another galaxy may still be out of reach, but cutting-edge technology is now transporting you there visually.

Sherman Sudbury, 8, wants to be the next man on the moon. He was one of the hundreds of people Tuesday who got a glimpse of the great beyond as Sac State's planetarium teamed up with NASA to release new images from the world's most powerful space telescope, the James Webb Space Telescope.

So why go to the planetarium when you can check them out on your phone? It's so much better when you can check them out on a 2,500-square-foot dome.

"This is the perfect venue for appreciating what NASA gave us today," Kyle Watters said.

Watters is the planetarium coordinator and leads visitors on a trip to a galaxy far, far away. He said we've previously seen images like the ones released Tuesday — including one of the Carina Nebula, where new stars are formed — but not in this detail.

"One of the amazing things about this James Webb telescope is its ability to use infrared light almost like a form of X-ray vision, and it can peer through the clouds of gas and dust," he said.

On the enormous screen, Watters pointed out different galaxies, nebulas and other planets a million miles away outside Earth's solar system.

Sherman was not the only one who thought it was awesome. It left many starstruck.

"I think it was cool. I think we're seeing stuff we haven't seen before," Sam Daravong said.