Space photo of the week: James Webb telescope reveals mysterious

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Irradiated dust streams through area near the Cassiopeia A supernova residue in this vibrant James Webb Space Telescope image.
(Image credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, J. Jencson (Caltech/IPAC))

What it is: Interstellar medium near the supernova residue Cassiopeia A

Where it is: About 11,000 light-years away, in the constellation Cassiopeia

When it was shared: Jan. 14, 2025

Why it’s so unique: This set of sensational images from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST )reveals radiant interstellar medium– gas and dust that fill the area in between stars– near the supernova residue Cassiopeia A. The light from this supernova is thought to have actually reached Earth in the 1660s. More than 350 years later on, its extreme light has actually exposed elaborate layers of radiant product around the long-dead star.

These images expose an interesting phenomenon called a light echo– faint reflections of the light given off throughout a supernova surge. When a star reaches completion of its life expectancy and takes off, it releases extreme radiation that illuminate the surrounding gas and dust, producing an “echo” that can be seen in noticeable wavelengths. Often the energetic supernova radiation likewise warms the close-by gas and dust of the interstellar medium, triggering it to discharge its own radiance, leading to an unusual kind of light echo observed at infrared wavelengths– the sort of light that JWST stands out at identifying. According to NASA, the infrared light echo in these images really originates from the product behind Cassiopeia A, not from the product expelled throughout the surge.

Related: 42 jaw-dropping James Webb Space Telescope images

JWST took 3 different direct exposures of the Cassiopeia A supernova residue, demonstrating how the constituent gas and dust altered in time. Keep in mind, the bottom 2 images are turned somewhat compared to the others, due to the roll angle of the JWST telescope at the time. (Image credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, J. Jencson (Caltech/IPAC))

The images display the securely loaded, sheet-like nature of the interstellar medium, looking a bit like layers of an onion. These filamentary structures were observed in extraordinary information, with measurements handled scales of roughly 400 huge systems (AU), which is 400 times the typical range in between Earth and the sunFormerly, astronomers have recognized structures in the interstellar medium on scales of parsecs (1 parsec is approximately 206,000 AU, or 3.2 light-years). Finding that these structures exist on much smaller sized scales was brand-new to the scientists.

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These flashing drapes originated from observations of the exact same spot of dust handled 3 various days– Aug. 19, Sept. 16, and Sept. 30, 2024– utilizing JWST’s Near-Infrared Camera. The 3 views, when integrated, expose how a light echo modifications in time. (In the above images, the field of vision in the leading row is turned clockwise simply a bit compared to the middle and bottom rows due to the tilt of the telescope while taking those observations.)

Astronomers strategy to more research study the scene utilizing JWST’s Mid-Infrared Instrument, wishing to see the light echo modification over weeks or months. This will assist them recognize modifications in the structure of the dust spot and inspect whether particles or dust grains get damaged at the same time.

Shreejaya Karantha is a science author focusing on astronomy, covering subjects such as the sun, planetary science, outstanding development, great voids, and early universe cosmology. Based in India, she works as an author and research study expert at The Secrets of deep space, where she adds to scripts for research-based and explainer videos. Shreejaya holds a bachelor’s degree in science and a master’s degree in physics with an expertise in astrophysics.