NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has provided unprecedented views of interstellar gas and dust in 3D for the first time. The telescope captured intricate structures, such as knots and whorls resembling wood grain, in infrared light echoes from a massive star collapse 350 years ago.
The observations revealed layers of material similar to the layers of an onion, with each layer having unique characteristics. Scientists believe that every dense region of interstellar dust may resemble this structure on the inside but have never been able to study it before due to limited resolution.
Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera detected a light echo phenomenon near the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A, showing dense sheets of gas and dust with structures resembling knots in wood grain. These findings could change our understanding of interstellar magnetic fields and provide insights into the universe’s most distant regions.
The data collected from Webb will allow scientists to study the 3D structure of interstellar medium for the first time, making it comparable to a medical CT scan. The team plans to conduct spectroscopic observations using Webb’s Mid-Infrared Instrument to observe changes in dust composition and states of molecules over time.
Source: https://www.earth.com/news/webb-captures-the-light-echoes-of-an-exploding-star