Webb's Rho Ophiuchi
Explanation:
A mere 390 light-years away,
Sun-like stars and future planetary systems are forming in
the Rho Ophiuchi molecular cloud complex,
the closest star-forming region to our fair planet.
The James Webb Space Telescope's NIRCam peered
into the nearby natal chaos
to capture this infrared image at
an inspiring scale.
The frame spans
less than a light-year across the Rho Ophiuchi region
and contains about 50 young stars.
Brighter stars clearly show Webb's characteristic pattern of
diffraction spikes.
Huge jets of shocked molecular hydrogen
blasting from
newborn stars are red in the image, with
the large, yellowish dusty cavity carved out by the energetic
young star near its center.
Near some stars in the stunning image are shadows cast by their
protoplanetary disks.
The spectacular cosmic snapshot was released in 2023 to celebrate the successful
first year of
Webb's exploration
of the Universe.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
