The United States’ space agency, NASA, has recently unveiled an up-close image of the nearest star-forming region to Earth to mark the one-year anniversary of the James Webb Space Telescope’s (JWST) activation.
Using the JWST, NASA captured an image of the Rho Ophiuchi region, which is located 390 light-years away from Earth. This marks the first time such a detailed image of this star-forming region has been captured. In a statement accompanying the image, NASA referred to it as “a vivid image contrasting with the tranquility of the region,” and there is much to be discovered about what appears in the image.
“Webb’s image of Rho Ophiuchi allows us to witness a very brief phase in the life of stars, with unprecedented clarity,” said Klaus Pontoppidan, a scientist involved in the JWST project at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Maryland, USA. “Our Sun went through a phase like this a long time ago, and now we have the technology to see the beginning of the story from another star.”
Rho Ophiuchi Region. Image Source: AP
According to NASA, some of the stars in the image are signs of protoplanetary disks—potential future planetary systems in the making.
This region contains approximately 50 young stars, all with masses equivalent to or smaller than that of the Sun. The image is dominated by red hydro lines, a phenomenon that occurs when a star sheds its initial cosmic dust envelope and ejects a pair of two opposing hydro streams into space.
The JWST, with a cost of around $10 billion, was launched at the end of 2021. Despite going over budget by billions of dollars and experiencing several years of delays, the device quickly gained favor with many after capturing a series of previously unseen images of deep space. The JWST allows humans to look further into the origins of the universe and provides high-resolution images of distant worlds and mysterious structures in space.
Some of the most impressive images include a star right before its demise, large galaxies forming just 350 million years after the Big Bang, disrupting current theories of cosmology.
“In just one year, JWST has changed humanity’s view of the universe,” said Bill Nelson, head of NASA, in a statement. “Each new image is a new discovery, empowering scientists worldwide to pose and answer questions they could only dream of before.”
“Webb is an investment in America’s innovation but also a scientific marvel made possible by NASA’s international partners,” Nelson added. He also noted that the project will continue to enhance human understanding of the universe and our place within it.
NASA has organized a week-long “celebration” to commemorate the first images captured by the JWST, including discussions about the impact of the JWST on human exploration and understanding of the Solar System.