| JWST captures a Cosmic Newborn's first 'Cry' (2025-3-26) ⬅︎ |
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Take a look at this stunning image of Herbig-Haro 49/50, captured by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). It’s not just visually striking — it gives us a front-row seat to one of the universe’s most dramatic and important processes: the birth of a star.
What you’re seeing isn’t just glowing gas for the sake of beauty — it’s a newborn star firing powerful jets into its surroundings. These jets, made of hot plasma, shoot out at over 1 million miles per hour, crashing into clouds of gas and dust. The result? Glowing shockwaves that light up the region, creating what’s known as a Herbig-Haro object.
This cosmic scene is unfolding about 500 light-years away — relatively close in astronomical terms — in a stellar nursery in the constellation Chamaeleon. It’s hidden from view for most of us in the northern hemisphere, but JWST’s incredible infrared vision allows it to see through the dust and reveal the action.
Did you notice that circular object in the upper-right of the image? That’s not part of the star-forming drama — it’s actually a spiral galaxy in the far distance, casually 'photo-bombing' the action.
The JWST is giving us an entirely new view of the universe — not just pretty pictures, but valuable insights into how stars like our Sun are born. And this is only the beginning. |
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