James Webb Telescope Captures Gorgeous Tarantula Nebula In Stunning Detail
Also known as 30 Doradus, Webb observed some distinct features of the nebula using its state-of-the-art Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) from around 161,000 light years away from us.
The James Webb Space Telescope is sending breathtaking images of our universe and today, it has managed to capture the Tarantula Nebula in stunning detail.
NASA
Also known as 30 Doradus, Webb observed some distinct features of the nebula using its state-of-the-art Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) from around 161,000 light years away from us. Overwhelming radiation from the cluster of several young stars resulted in the image revealing a hollow cavity, shining pale blue.
NASA describes the imagery as resembling a burrowing tarantula¡¯s home, lined with its silk. According to NASA, only the densest surrounding areas of the nebula are capable of resisting corrosion by the powerful stellar winds of these stars.
The camera also captured a very young star only beginning to emerge from its pillar to shape the nebula, while still maintaining an insulating cloud of dust around itself -- something wouldn¡¯t have been possible to witness without the hardware aboard the JWST.
The nebula looks extremely different when captured using JWST¡¯s MIRI(Mid-infrared instrument). The hot stars fade with the cooler gases and dust glowing. In the stellar nursery clouds, points of light show that the protostars within them are still gaining mass.
NASA
While shorter wavelengths of light are absorbed or spread by dust grains in the nebula, going undetected by JWST, longer mid-infrared wavelengths go through the dust, showcasing a unique cosmic event.
Researchers are now planning to observe distant galaxies from the actual era of cosmic noon and compare it with the existing observations of Tarantula, helping scientists see how similar or different the results truly are.
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