One of the James Webb telescope's images is this one (left.) In this picture the galaxy in the blue circle is 2 billion light years away. If you traveled the speed of light, it would take you 2 billion years to get there. You'd actually never get there. That image is where the galaxy was 2 billion years ago. If you started now you'd have to travel double that speed. In other words, we will never know what's going on over there in our neighbor's house. There may not even be anyone home, but that's doubtful.
And this telescope captured an image so clear and precise you can see the individual spiral arms of it (right.) I'm an Atheist. I do not believe in God or any sort of supernatural higher power. I'm also a science lover and my profound sense of awe and wonder in these images comes from an empirical data perspective.
Others are quite different. Their sense of awe and wonder come from a religious perspective. Who would I be to criticize that or attempt to steal their joy of this moment simply because we believe differently?
That said, this must be a moment where we all look out to the universe together in the same wonder and awe regardless of religion or beliefs. Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Agnostic, Atheist, and so many more, those are simply layers on top of the core sense of wonder. I stand in the Cosmos in the same stature as gas giants, comets, quasars, black holes, sparrows, dandelions, nebulae, other forms of life in other galaxies, and dark matter. We are all children of the universe.
I for one will respect another's wonder as I would hope they would respect mine. Our reverence of our universe is the same.
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