The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has captured a stellar new image of a supernova - an exploded star. The observatory's Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam) captured the remains of a star that exploded 36 years ago, it shows the expanding stellar debris in unprecedented resolution, revealing brand new details about this burgeoning supernova remnant.
James Webb has begun the study of one of the most renowned supernovae, SN 1987A (Supernova 1987A). Located 168,000 light-years away, SN 1987A has been a target of intense observations at wavelengths ranging from gamma rays to radio for nearly 40 years, NASA said.
Astronomers are fascinated by the discovery as it shows intricate details of what happens when big stars end their days.
"The new observations by Webb provide a crucial clue to our understanding of how a supernova develops over time to shape its remnant," NASA said.
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This image reveals a central structure like a keyhole. This centre is packed with clumpy gas and dust ejected by the supernova explosion. The dust is so dense that even near-infrared light that Webb detects can't penetrate it, shaping the dark "hole" in the keyhole, the space agency said in a press release.
A bright, equatorial ring surrounds the inner keyhole, forming a band around the waist that connects two faint arms of hourglass-shaped outer rings. The equatorial ring, formed from material ejected tens of thousands of years before the supernova explosion, contains bright hot spots, which appeared as the supernova's shock wave hit the ring.
Despite the decades of study since the supernova's initial discovery, there are several mysteries that remain, particularly surrounding the neutron star that should have been formed in the aftermath of the supernova explosion. Like Spitzer, Webb will continue to observe the supernova over time. Its NIRSpec (Near-Infrared Spectrograph) and MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) instruments will offer astronomers the ability to capture new, high-fidelity infrared data over time and gain new insights into the newly identified crescent structures. Further, Webb will continue to collaborate with Hubble, Chandra, and other observatories to provide new insights into the past and future of this legendary supernova, NASA said in the press release.
