> This is not about celebrating those people, it's giving the main chunk of the credit to this person alone.
Because leading a large team of researches working on highly complicated work is respectfull work as well. Another team leader might have botched it and we wouldnt have the picture.
> Another team leader might have botched it and we wouldnt have the picture.
How do you know that? The "might" means nothing here. There were many other teams working too and each of them have their talented leader doing complicated things. Choosing this one specifically from all others to take the credit is meaningless.
Very few people are excited about "5TB of data of a black hole gathered".
> How do you know that? The "might" means nothing here.
It doesnt mean _nothing_. It means she did a good job, or at least good enough, for her team to actually produce the image.
How I know that some other team leader might have botched it? I would have.