This is NOT a photo of a star…
In July 2022, Étienne Klein — a prominent French physicist and director of research at France’s Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) — posted what appeared to be a stunning image of Proxima Centauri, the closest star to our Sun.
He captioned it as a new photograph taken by the James Webb Space Telescope, showing a beautifully detailed, marbled red sphere glowing against the black void of space.
The image quickly went viral, earning widespread admiration and thousands of shares — until Klein revealed the truth: the “star” was actually a close-up photograph of a slice of Spanish chorizo sausage.
What began as a moment of scientific awe turned into a viral lesson on digital skepticism and the dangers of trusting authority without verification.
Klein later described the post as a deliberate “scientist’s joke” intended to highlight how easily people accept images as real when they come from a credible source — especially in the era of fake news and AI-generated visuals.
While some praised the stunt for encouraging critical thinking, others strongly criticized it, arguing that misinformation from a respected scientific figure risks eroding public trust in genuine astronomical discoveries — particularly during the highly anticipated early JWST mission.
Klein eventually apologized to those who felt misled, but the incident remains a powerful cautionary tale: even experts can exploit visual deception, reminding us all to question everything and verify before believing in the age of social media.