Webb reveals intricate layers of interstellar dust and gas

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope Shows 3D Structure Of Dust And Gas Between Stars

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has captured highly detailed images showing the complex layers of interstellar dust and gas. These observations, collected through light echoes from a supernova explosion, "are allowing astronomers to map the true 3D structure of this interstellar dust and gas (known as the interstellar medium) for the first time," stated NASA in a release. The light echoes, originating from a star's collapse over 350 years ago,…

Webb captures the light echoes of an exploding star

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has revealed new details about interstellar dust and gas using infrared light echoes from a supernova.

Webb sees shockwave continuing hundreds of years after supernova blast

Scientists have probed the remains of a star that died in a violent supernova and discovered that its shockwave continued reverberating through space, hundreds of years later.That shockwave eventually reached interstellar space, the medium that fills regions between stars. Researchers used the James Webb Space Telescope, a collaboration of NASA and its European and Canadian counterparts, to find that the ancient pulse, like a cosmic flashlight, …

Webb reveals intricate layers of interstellar dust and gas

Once upon a time, the core of a massive star collapsed, creating a shockwave that blasted outward, ripping the star apart as it went. When the shockwave reached the star's surface, it punched through, generating a brief, intense pulse of X-rays and ultraviolet light that traveled outward into the surrounding space. About 350 years later, that pulse of light has reached interstellar material, illuminating it, warming it, and causing it to glow in…

Why Astronomers Are Buzzing About Webb’s Discovery of a Supernova’s Lingering Shockwave

Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have unveiled an astonishing discovery: the shockwave from a supernova explosion, which happened over three centuries ago, is still making waves—literally—through interstellar space. This revelation sheds new light on the mysterious material filling the regions between stars and opens a window into the life cycles of galaxies. A […] The post Why Astronomers Are Buzzing About Webb’s Discovery of a …

Webb captures interstellar medium in light of dead star

New Delhi: About 350 years ago, Cassiopeia A at a distance of 11,000 years ran out of nuclear fuel. The core of the massive star collapsed, resulting in a shockwave that ripped apart the star, violently dumping its outer layers into the surrounding environment. A pulse of intense X-ray and ultraviolet light was produced by the shockwave reaching the surface. This light has now reached interstellar gas and dust. The injection of heat into the mat…