A massive star ends its days as a supernova. Before that, some of them go through a short stage called Wolf-Rayet (WR), which is difficult to observe, but the James Webb Space Telescope managed to do it in unprecedented detail.
Star WR124 is located 15,000 light-years away in the constellation Sagittarius, has a mass thirty times that of the Sun, and has so far erupted the equivalent of ten suns.. To Webb’s gaze, it appears as an explosion of gold, pink, and purple cosmic gas and dust.
The infrared light in which the telescope observes allows you to see the characteristic halo of gas and dust framing the star.demonstrating the knotted structure and history of episodic ejections, NASA said in a statement.
star death
Despite the fact that this is the place of imminent stellar “death”, Astronomers are also looking to Wolf-Rayet stars for new beginnings as cosmic dust, made up of the heavy elements that make up the universe, forms in the turbulent nebulae that surround them. modern.
During the Wolf-Rayet phase that will give way to a supernova, the star will shed its outer layers, creating characteristic halos of gas and dust.
But this is a very short period and not all stars pass through it, so new observations are very valuable for astronomers. As the ejected gas moves away from the star and cools, cosmic dust is formed that can survive a supernova explosion.
Cosmic spring is in the air! Last image from @NASAWebb It depicts a blooming Wolf-Rayet star 15,000 light-years away. This rare phase is as fleeting as the cherry blossom it looks like. Fortunately, Webb can study his “petals” of dust in detail: https://t.co/z9dlzgKmAh #SXSW pic.twitter.com/sAOrZkX0Wl
— NASA (@NASA) March 14, 2023
This dust is an integral part of how the universe works, taking on stars in the process of creation, coming together to help form planets. and serves as a platform for the formation and assembly of molecules, including the building blocks of life on Earth.
Despite the many important functions that dust performs, there is more to the universe than current theories of its formation can explain.
Webb opens up new opportunities for detailed study of cosmic dust, which was previously difficult due to a lack of information about its characteristics.which can now be explored on real data.
EE (NASA, EFE)
Source: La Opinion
Ashley Fitzgerald is an accomplished journalist in the field of technology. She currently works as a writer at 24 news breaker. With a deep understanding of the latest technology developments, Ashley’s writing provides readers with insightful analysis and unique perspectives on the industry.