The formation of stars and the chaotic environments they inhabit is one of the most well-studied, but also mystery-shrouded, areas of cosmic investigation. The intricacies of these processes are now being unveiled like never before by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope.
The formation of stars and the chaotic environments they inhabit is one of the most well-studied, but also mystery-shrouded, areas of cosmic investigation. The intricacies of these processes are now being unveiled like never before by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope.
Sheltered among NGC 604's dusty envelopes of gas are more than 200 of the hottest, most massive kinds of stars, all in the early stages of their lives. These types of stars are B-types and O-types, the latter of which can be more than 100 times the mass of our own Sun. It's quite rare to find this concentration of them in the nearby universe. In fact, there's no similar region within our own Milky Way galaxy.
The bright orange-colored streaks in the Webb near-infrared image signify the presence of carbon-based molecules known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs. This material plays an important role in the interstellar medium and the formation of stars and planets, but its origin is a mystery. As you travel farther from the immediate clearings of dust, the deeper red signifies molecular hydrogen. This cooler gas is a prime environment for star formation.
NGC 604 is estimated to be around 3.5 million years old. The cloud of glowing gases extends to some 1,300 light-years across.One of the greatest strengths of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope is its ability to give astronomers detailed views of areas where new stars are being born. The latest example, showcased here in a ...
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
The Latest Mesmerizing Images from NASA's James Webb Space TelescopeWant to see the latest JWST images? The most recent image features the furthest known galaxy and black hole.
Read more »
NASA Webb Telescope captures distant star-forming regionThe James Webb Space Telescope captured two new images of a star-forming region millions of lightyears away from Earth.
Read more »
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-7 Return to Earth to Air Live on NASA PlatformsNASA will provide live coverage of the agency’s SpaceX Crew-7 return to Earth from the International Space Station, beginning with a change-of-command
Read more »
Peering through Lenovo’s transparent laptop into a sci-fi futureLenovo’s ThinkBook Transparent Display Laptop is a 17.3-inch notebook with a transparent screen, and a built in tablet for you to doodle on.
Read more »
Dazzling new images from Webb telescope reveal 'ghostly glow' of newborn starsTwo new images from the James Webb Space Telescope offer an unprecedented view of a stellar nursery in the Triangulum galaxy, about 2.73 million light-years away.
Read more »
Webb Space Telescope Shows Ultraviolet “Winds” Eroding a Young Star’s Protoplanetary Disk in Orion NebulaScience, Space and Technology News 2024
Read more »