The James Webb Space Telescope has captured breathtaking images of various celestial objects, revealing hidden structures and shedding light on active star formation. One such region is the Cosmic Cliffs, located in the Sombrero galaxy, which has long fascinated astronomers due to its hub of intense star formation.
Webb’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) provides a stunning new perspective on this region, accentuating the clumpy distribution of dust and gas. The mid-infrared light highlights active star formation within the galaxy’s expansive outer disk.
Another notable object is Westerlund 1, an open star cluster located approximately 12,000 light-years away in the constellation Ara. This cluster is obscured by a vast interstellar cloud of gas and dust, making Webb’s infrared view particularly valuable in studying its hidden stars.
Additionally, the James Webb Space Telescope has showcased NGC 1333, a nearby stellar nursery embedded within the Perseus molecular cloud. Located about 960 light-years away, this star-forming region is a dynamic landscape of bright young stars shaping their surroundings with powerful stellar winds.
A new mosaic of images from Webb also reveals the Pillars of Creation in unprecedented detail, showcasing hidden structures and newly forming stars within towering columns of dust and gas. Furthermore, an image of NGC 604 highlights how intense radiation and stellar winds from massive young stars sculpt the surrounding clouds of gas and dust, creating intricate cavities within the nebula.
The James Webb Space Telescope’s ability to capture these breathtaking images is shedding new light on the mysteries of our universe, revealing hidden secrets about active star formation and the formation of celestial objects.
Source: https://www.timesnownews.com/web-stories/technology/6-most-beautiful-space-pictures-taken-by-nasa-james-webb-telescope/photostory/151223322.cms