Latest news with #CosmicCliffs
Digital Trends
08-05-2025
- Science
- Digital Trends
Soar through the famous Cosmic Cliffs in this stunning NASA visualization
When the first images from the James Webb Space Telescope were released in 2022, one in particular became instantly iconic: a striking orange and blue view of the Carina Nebula, affectionately known as the Cosmic Cliffs. Now, a visualization from NASA gives a new way to experience that iconic image in 3D. NASA scientists worked together with others from the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI), Caltech/IPAC, Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory to create this 3D visualization of the beautiful nebula. Using data from James Webb as well as the Hubble and now-retired Sptizer space telescopes plus the Chandra X-ray Observatory, you can see how the nebula appears in different wavelengths of light, from visible light to X-ray to infrared. Recommended Videos The video takes you from the heart of the nebula, zooming out to see the structures of dust and gas before heading to the famous Cosmic Cliffs. Then the visualization shows what it would look like to fly over the cliffs, exploring them in three dimensions. The nebula gets its complex shape from the interplay of newborn stars and the dust and gas they are formed from. When stars are born, they give off gusts of stellar winds which push away material and sculpt it into delicate shapes. And when enough dust and gas is packed into one area, it can stick together due to the forces of gravity and become the core of a new star. The region of the nebula known as the Cliffs is technically called Gum 31, where stars in the bright young cluster NGC 3324 have carved the cliff-like shapes in the clouds of dust. 'Bringing this amazing set of multiwavelength images to life showcases the variety of scientific features revealed by NASA's space observatories,' said leader of the project, Frank Summer of STScI. 'Plus, with the Cosmic Cliffs fly-through, one can experience the three-dimensional structure inherent in the 2D image, and foster a better mental model of the universe.'
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Calling all philatelists: U.S. Postal Services issues two new JWST stamps
The United States Postal Service has issued two new stamps featuring stellar images beamed back to Earth by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The two new stamps were officially issued on January 21 and highlight some of the powerful space telescope's recent work. The Priority Mail stamp features Webb's depiction of spiral galaxy NGC 628. This galaxy is located about 32 million light-years away in the constellation Pisces. The depiction of NGC 628 itself was one of 19 spiral galaxy images first released in January 2024. It combines both near- and mid-infrared light to show glowing gas and dust in various shades of orange and red. The finer spiral shapes have jagged edges. The Priority Mail Express stamp shows JWST's image of the central portion of star cluster IC 348. The image was first released in December 2023 and was taken in near-infrared light. The purple wispy curtains filling the image are interstellar material that is reflecting the light from the cluster's stars. Astronomers call this phenomenon a reflection nebula. Star cluster IC 348 is about 1,000 light-years from Earth in the constellation Perseus. 'The James Webb Space Telescope transforms science into art as it continues to capture extraordinary snapshots of deep space brimming with incredible scientific data to be studied for decades to come,' Nicky Fox, associate administrator, Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters, said in a statement. 'NASA Science is literally everywhere, and it continues to deliver for the American people so that everyone can have the opportunity to hold a piece of space in their hands with these breathtaking images beyond our solar system. I am excited that not only my favorite image, the spiral galaxy NGC 628, is featured this year, but that both stamps are taking us on an incredible journey into our cosmic history from one mailbox to another.' The U.S. Postal Service previously issued stamps that celebrate JWST and its accomplishments in 2022 and 2024. The 2022 stamps featured a photograph of the telescope itself. Last year's stamps were of two of JWST's most well-known images–the Pillars of Creation in the Eagle Nebula and the Cosmic Cliffs in the Carina Nebula. The image of the Cosmic Cliffs was the first full-color image made with data from JWST and was released in July 2022. Since its launch on December 25, 2021, JWST has revealed some of the farthest galaxies, stars, and black holes that humans have ever observed. The joint venture between the European Space Agency (ESA) and Canadian Space Agency (CSA) has also given astronomers detailed looks at the atmospheres of planets outside our solar system. It has also addressed some of the most pressing mysteries about the early universe, including the earliest earliest galaxy ever observed. Stamps can be purchased online or at your local post office.
