CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. The James Webb Space Telescope has captured a breathtaking image of a forming star ejecting a stream of gas and dust set against the dramatic backdrop of a distant spiral galaxy.
The composite image, released by NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) on Monday, creates the illusion of a rocket’s billowing contrail soaring toward the galaxy. However, NASA clarified that the two celestial objects are unrelated—merely aligned by cosmic coincidence.
According to NASA, the stellar outflow is located 625 light-years from Earth in one of the nearest star-forming regions of the Milky Way. (A light-year equals nearly 6 trillion miles.) The phenomenon was observed in the infrared spectrum, revealing stunning details hidden from traditional optical telescopes.
NASA described the discovery as “a lucky alignment” that provides unprecedented insight into stellar formation. The Webb Telescope, launched in 2021 as the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, boasts superior capabilities that allow scientists to study distant cosmic structures with remarkable clarity.
A similar view was first captured in 2006 by NASA’s retired Spitzer Space Telescope, where astronomers nicknamed the stellar jet “the cosmic tornado.” However, Spitzer’s image lacked the resolution to reveal the background galaxy and finer details that Webb has now uncovered.
The James Webb Space Telescope is the largest and most powerful observatory ever deployed in space, continuing to revolutionize our understanding of the universe with its cutting-edge technology and unprecedented clarity.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
- Venus L Peñaflorhttps://tutubi.ph/author/venusp/
- Venus L Peñaflorhttps://tutubi.ph/author/venusp/
- Venus L Peñaflorhttps://tutubi.ph/author/venusp/
- Venus L Peñaflorhttps://tutubi.ph/author/venusp/
