James Webb Telescope Reveals Intricate Layers of Interstellar Dust And Gas, NASA Shares Image

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), the most powerful telescope developed by mankind, is revolutionising our understanding of the universe by providing an unparalleled view of the intricate details and 3D structure of interstellar dust and gas. Recently, the telescope captured the infrared glow of this cosmic material, revealing delicate patterns reminiscent of wood grain. This groundbreaking observation has enabled astronomers to create accurate 3D maps of the interstellar medium for the first time.

The initial findings offer novel perspectives on the relationship between star formation and the evolution of galaxies. By examining the smallest-scale processes in the universe, scientists can better comprehend the development of the largest cosmic structures.

"The space between the stars is not empty, but rather filled with filaments of dust and gas (known as the interstellar medium), which is often invisible until something illuminates it," NASA explained on Instagram while sharing pictures of the infrared light echo.

See the image here:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by NASA (@nasa)

The cosmic display reveals interstellar gas and dust illuminated by the explosive aftermath of an ancient supernova. This phenomenon, known as a thermal light echo, occurs when the gas is heated by the supernova's blast, causing it to radiate infrared light. As the supernova's illumination travels through space at light speed, the echo appears to expand, creating a shimmering effect. NASA's James Webb Space Telescope captured this breathtaking light echo near the remnants of Cassiopeia A, a supernova that exploded centuries ago.

"We were pretty shocked to see this level of detail. We see layers like an onion. We think every dense, dusty region we see, and most of the ones we don't see, look like this inside. We just have never been able to look inside them before,” said Jacob Jencson of Caltech/IPAC in Pasadena, principal investigator of the science program," said Josh Peek of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, a science team member.

The Webb telescope, launched in 2021 and beginning collecting data in 2022, has reshaped the understanding of the early universe while taking stunning pictures of the cosmos. Since becoming operational, Webb has revealed the existence of the earliest-known galaxies and black holes and unleashed a raft of unprecedented data. Webb is about 100 times more powerful than the Hubble telescope.