A photo tweeted by a famous French physicist purportedly of Proxima Centauri by the James Webb Space Telescope was actually a slice of chorizo.
Étienne Klein, director of research at France’s Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission, released the photo last week, claiming it showed the star closest to the sun.
“That level of detail,” Klein wrote. “A new world is revealed day by day.”
Images from the $10 billion James Webb Space Telescope, a collaboration between NASA and Canada and the European space agencies, went viral throughout July when its first images were released.
But a few days later, Klein revealed that the photo he tweeted was not the work of the world’s most powerful space telescope, as he had actually tweeted a slice of chorizo.
“According to contemporary cosmology, no object belonging to the Spanish deli exists anywhere except on Earth,” he said after apologizing for misleading so many people.
“Like an idiot, I screwed up,” tweeted one French user. “Same,” replied another, “the source was so believable…”
Klein told French newspaper Le Point that his intention had been to educate people about fake news online, adding that “I also think that if I hadn’t said it was a photo of James Webb, I wouldn’t have been so successful “.
Earlier this week, Klein tweeted another image from the James Webb Space Telescope that definitely shows the Chariot Wheel galaxy and is 100% not a slice of salami.
Subscribe to the VICE newsletter.
By signing up for the VICE newsletter, you agree to receive electronic communications from VICE that may sometimes include advertisements or sponsored content.