Webb space telescope makes stunning discovery on 3-year anniversary
This time, the most powerful telescope ever launched into space uncovered a cluster of forming stars within the "toe beans" of the Cat's Paw Nebula.
MORE: NASA detects new planet with temperatures that suggest habitable conditions
The Cat's Paw Nebula, also known as NGC 6334, is located in the constellation Scorpius about 4,000 light-years away. It is a "massive" emission nebula and star-forming region, according to NASA. It is named for its large, round features that create the impression of a feline footprint.
Within one of the "toe beans" of the feline footprint exists a subset of "mini toe bean-reminiscent" structures composed of gas, dust and young stars, according to NASA. The Webb telescope's NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) was able to capture a clear image of the forming stars.
"Three years into its mission, Webb continues to deliver on its design – revealing previously hidden aspects of the universe, from the star formation process to some of the earliest galaxies," said Shawn Domagal-Goldman, acting director of the Astrophysics Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington, in a statement.
The progression from a large molecular cloud to massive stars entails multiple steps, which are not yet well understood by astronomers, according to NASA. The Cat's Paw Nebula enables astronomers to study the turbulent cloud-to-star process in great detail.
The process of star formation is somewhat fleeting, according to NASA. As massive young stars carve away at nearby gas and dust, their bright starlight produces a bright nebulous glow, represented in the image in blue.
The "disruptive" young stars have a brief but important role in the region's larger story, according to NASA.
MORE: NASA catches a glimpse of 'city-killer' asteroid before it disappears until 2028
In the photo, the orange-brown tiers represent stardust, while small patches represent seemingly vacant zones that indicate the presence of dense foreground filaments of dust that are home to still-forming stars, astronomers said.
The small, fiery red clumps seen scattered amongst the brown dust toward the center of the photo mark regions where massive star formation is underway, according to NASA.
Some massive blue-white stars, such as the one seen in the lower left toe bean, appear more sharply solved than others because any intervening material between the star and the telescope was dissipated by stellar radiation, the space agency said.
An "eye-catching" aspect is the bright, red-orange oval at the top right of the photo, which is likely dense area just beginning its star-formation process, implied by the low count of background stars, according to NASA.
The Webb telescope launched in December 2021 and began scientific operations in July 2022, according to NASA. With its sharp resolution, it has the capability to peer farther into space than ever before and continues to reveal parts of the universe that were previously unknown by using infrared light observations.
MORE: Astronomers discover repeating radio bursts from distant 'dead' galaxy
The telescope "repeatedly" breaks its own records while also uncovering the unknowns of the universe, Domagal-Goldman said.
"Whether it's following up on the mysteries of dark matter with NASA's nearly complete Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, or narrowing our search for life to Earth-like planets with the Habitable Worlds Observatory, the questions Webb has raised are just as exciting as the answers it's giving us," Domagal-Goldman said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
The sun is spewing massive solar flares toward Earth. Here's what happens next.
After weeks of reduced activity, the sun erupted with three powerful flares on a single day. That could send solar flares toward Earth, impacting electronics and making it possible to view the northern lights. These blasts of solar radiation, known as coronal mass ejections, or CMEs, came from the AR4168 sunspot region on Aug. 3-4, according to and EarthSky. It fired its most powerful outburst, an M4.4-class flare, on Aug. 5. reports that the explosions could provide an opportunity to view the northern lights in northern Maine and Michigan on Aug. 8. How Earth's atmosphere shields it from solar flares Although no significant "space weather" effects have been verified so far, one flare might have sent a small burst in Earth's direction. Space physics student and aurora chaser Vincent Ledvina posted on X that it has a 12% chance of impact and could arrive around midnight Coordinated Universal Time on Aug. 7, according to The Earth's atmosphere and magnetic field shield us from most of the sun's radiation, so solar flares are unlikely to harm people or animals directly on the surface. But the bursts can cause problems with technology and infrastructure. Impact of solar flares on Earth AR3038, another area of several active sunspots, also could release more M-class solar flares, the second-most powerful of the five classifications. The strongest solar flares are X-class outbursts, according to NASA. Flares of the M class, which are 10 times smaller than those of the X class, are followed by flares of the C class, B class, and A class, which are too weak to have a major impact on Earth. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has classified solar flares into these five categories. The intensity of the X-rays they emit determines their identification. Like the Richter scale used to gauge earthquake intensity, each class letter denotes a tenfold increase in energy production, according to Flares can last minutes to hours and can be seen as bright spots on the sun from telescopes. CONTRIBUTING George Petras
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
NASA explains how it keeps the Curiosity rover running, 13 years later
Thirteen years ago, the Curiosity rover landed on Mars, inside Gale crater in particular. It was originally sent to the red planet for a two-year mission, but it was extended indefinitely just a few months into its operations. The rover has several goals, most of which are meant to help scientists determine whether Mars could ever have supported life in the past. And while it's still very much operational and doing science, NASA has had to make adjustments and give it new capabilities to ensure that it can keep running. In a new post celebrating the 13th anniversary of the rover's landing, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory has detailed the updates the Curiosity team has had to implement. To start with, the team manages the rover's daily power budget with great care to make sure it can do its job and last longer. See, Curiosity uses a power system called Multi-Mission Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (MMRTG), which relies on decaying plutonium pellets to generate energy. As the plutonium decays over time, it takes longer and longer for the system to recharge the rover's battery. That's why the team now meticulously factors in every device that draws on the batteries. They consolidate Curiosity's tasks to shorten the time the rover is active to also reduce the energy used. The ground team, for instance, tells Curiosity to talk to an orbiter while driving or moving its robotic arm instead of doing one task at a time. If the rover finishes its tasks early, it can go to sleep early and recharge for the next day, which JPL says maximizes the life of the MMRTG. Over the past years, NASA has also rolled out updates to change how the rover's robotic arm drill collects samples and to improve its driving capabilities. JPL developed an algorithm to reduce wear on the rover's wheels, as well, so they can last longer. From the time Curiosity had landed on Mars, it has provided us with multiple discoveries and new information. It discovered organic molecules in Martian atmosphere and soil, detected "startlingly high" levels of methane that's a gas typically produced by life as we know it, and it found evidence of ancient megafloods on the red planet. And water, as you know, could indicate the presence of life.
Gizmodo
2 hours ago
- Gizmodo
NASA Approves Ted Cruz's Plan to Move a Space Shuttle to Houston, Setting Up a Fight With the Smithsonian
NASA has selected a yet-to-be-named Space Shuttle to move to Houston, conceding to a long-running bid by Texas senators to house one of the iconic vehicles. If the chosen vehicle is Discovery—which it likely is—the Smithsonian, which houses the vehicle, may put up a fight. The Trump administration included the shuttle's relocation in the budget reconciliation bill, signed it into law on July 4, and set aside $85 million for the move and construction of a new facility in Houston. At the time, Texas Senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn had their eyes on Space Shuttle Discovery, which has been on display at the Smithsonian's Air and Space Museum in Virginia since 2012. This week, a NASA spokesperson stated that the agency's acting administrator, Sean Duffy, has identified one of the retired shuttles to be displayed at Space Center Houston, without revealing which one, according to collectSPACE. It's not clear why the identity of the shuttle is being withheld or if NASA has received the Smithsonian's approval to relocate Discovery. 'There is no better place for one of NASA's space shuttles to be displayed than Space City, and I thank Acting Administrator Duffy for rectifying the Obama Administration's error and look forward to welcoming this iconic orbiter to its rightful home,' Cornyn wrote in a statement. Cruz and Cornyn first introduced the Discovery Relocation Act in April, calling on NASA and the Smithsonian to develop a plan to relocate Discovery. It provided no less than $5 million to move the Shuttle to its new home, with the remaining $80 million allocated for the construction of a new display facility at Space Center Houston. The Smithsonian, on the other hand, argues it would cost somewhere between $300 and $400 million to move the massive spacecraft across the country. It's also worried that the shuttle may be damaged during the journey to Texas. For Discovery to be relocated, NASA does require the Smithsonian's blessing, since the institution acquired the shuttle from the agency and is now considered its owner. In response to the senators' bid to relocate Discovery, the Smithsonian reasserted its ownership of the shuttle in a statement that read, 'NASA transferred 'all rights, title, interest and ownership' of the shuttle to the Smithsonian.' The shuttle is 'part of the National Air and Space Museum's mission and core function as a research facility and the repository of the national air and space collection,' according to the statement. Three other Shuttles are also on display in different parts of the country: Enterprise is at the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York; Atlantis is at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida; and Endeavour is currently being set up for display at the Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center in Los Angeles. Given the state's longstanding history with the shuttle program, Texas understandably feels left out. The city of Houston in particular. While all of the Space Shuttle launches took place from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, more than 100 missions were managed from the control room at NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. After the Shuttle program ended in 2011, NASA selected museums across the country to display its iconic spacecraft. The agency's process has been highly criticized, particularly by Texas lawmakers, who referred to it as the 'Houston Shuttle Snub.' Fourteen years later, Texans are still gunning for that shuttle. The bill doesn't specify which of the retired vehicles would move to Space Center Houston, only that it has flown to space and carried astronauts to orbit (i.e. it's a real shuttle and not some mockup). Although NASA is still in possession of Atlantis, the focus seems to be on Discovery. 'We continue to work on the basis that the shuttle identified is Discovery and proceed with our preparations for its arrival and providing it a world-class home,' Keesha Bullock, chief communications and marketing officer at Space Center Houston, said in a statement, according to collectSPACE. Whether the Smithsonian will give up its shuttle is still up for debate.
