An awe-inspiring recent picture captured by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) reveals an expansive star factory in a nearby galaxy. This vivid image showcases the interstellar atomic hydrogen within the 1,630-light-year-wide N79 nebula in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way. The area, actively giving rise to stars, remains largely uncharted by astronomers.
N79 Nebula: JWST's Youthful Star Factory in the Unexplored LMC Region
N79 nebula, an expansive star-forming complex, spans approximately 1630 light-years in the relatively unexplored southwest region of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC).
Situated about 161,000 light-years from Earth, N79 is often considered a youthful counterpart to 30 Doradus, also known as the Tarantula Nebula, another celestial object recently examined by the JWST. Studies indicate that N79 has exhibited a star formation efficiency double that of 30 Doradus over the past 500,000 years.
Despite their similarities, scientific observations suggest that N79 has been fostering star formation at a rate twice as rapid as the Tarantula Nebula over the last half-million years.
Exploring dynamic star-forming regions like N79 using the JWST provides scientists with valuable insights into the composition of gas and dust clouds giving birth to stars. This research contributes to our understanding of the early universe, particularly during periods of heightened star formation intensity.
JWST's Latest Image Reveals N79's Starburst Patterns and Protostars
The latest image captured by the JWST zooms in on three expansive molecular clouds of cold atomic gas within what astronomers refer to as N79 South or S1. A noteworthy feature in the image is the prominent "starburst" pattern encircling the bright core of N79, resulting from diffraction spikes caused by the hexagonal arrangement of JWST's 18 primary mirror segments.
These diffraction spikes manifest when JWST observes intensely bright and compact objects where light emerges from a concentrated point. When directed towards galaxies or other seemingly small entities, the light is dispersed from more diffuse sources, eliminating the diffraction pattern.
The new N79 image was captured using JWST's Mid-InfraRed Instrument (MIRI), which excels in penetrating dense dust clouds with long-wave infrared light. JWST's infrared capabilities allow astronomers to peer into the heart of this star-forming region, revealing young stellar entities still enveloped in their initial cocoon of gas and dust.
Known as "protostars," these fledgling stars have yet to accumulate sufficient material to initiate hydrogen-to-helium fusion in their cores, the defining process of a star. Within the JWST N79 image, an infant star in this early stage stands out as the brightest point amidst billowing clouds of orange gas and dust.
The observations of N79 contribute to JWST's overarching mission, which involves examining the evolution of disks and envelopes surrounding stars at various stages of their development. Scientists hope that JWST will play a pivotal role in unveiling planet-forming disks around young stars resembling our sun, offering insights into the formation of our solar system approximately 4.6 billion years ago.
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