French Scientist Uses a Photo of Spanish Chorizo and Jokes About James Webb Space Telescope Finding a Red Giant Star in Another Planet

The purported image of a far-off star uploaded on a renowned French scientist's Twitter page was a slice of chorizo.

Etienne Klein, 64, head of research at the French Commission of Atomic Energy and Alternative Energies published a picture on Sunday of what he said was Proxima Centauri, the star closest to the sun and was captured by the $10 billion James Webb Space Telescope.

He praised the "level of detail" on his Twitter post, adding: "A new world is revealed every day."

The article has received retweets and comments. Thousands of users essentially thought that a well-respected scientist could only speak the truth.

However, some people have noticed an odd similarity between the star, located 4.25 light years from Earth, and the national sausage of Spain.

Red Ball of Spicy Star Is Just a Spanish Chorizo

According to France news website RFI, Klein admitted few days later that the image showed a piece of the mouthwatering Spanish sausage chorizo than the interesting star just over four light-years from the Sun.

Klein also clarified that his joke was to warn social media users to be aware of false information.

Because Klein believes he behave more authoritatively on social media than other people, he explained in an interview with French media that this was his first time posting a joke. The good news is that some individuals have discovered this tactic.

"Let us learn to be wary of arguments from authority as much as of the spontaneous eloquence of certain images," Klein mentioned in a French tweet.

In a separate Tweet, Klein continued by citing contemporary cosmology to claim that only Earth is the only place where people may find Spanish cold cuts.

French Scientist Apologizes Over Bad Joke James Webb Space Telescope Discovery

The joke, according to Klein, was merely intended to warn everyone to be aware of arguments from individuals in positions of power and the spontaneous eloquence of some pictures. However, he recognized that many users had not comprehended it.

But many Twitter users said they weren't amused by Klein, the head of research at France's Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) and a producer of radio shows, at a time when combating false news is of utmost significance for the scientific community.

He apologized to people who were deceived on Wednesday.

"I come to present my apologies to those who may have been shocked by my prank, which had nothing original about it," he said per Barrons report, describing the post as a "scientist's joke".

Soon after returning to more secure land, he posted a picture of the renowned Cartwheel Galaxy captured by the James Webb Space Telescope. He assured users that the image was authentic this time.

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