How, exactly, do stars form?
The James Webb Space Telescope
has peered deeply
into dusty regions of space,
and is already helping us
answer this, and many more questions.
Stars take shape over millions of years
in super cold clouds
that are filled with gas and dust.
For decades,
our views of developing stars
were limited, in part
by the technology of our telescopes.
Either we couldn't see
through dusty clouds
to observe these stars,
or we couldn't see them in enough detail.
In only three years, Webb
has supercharged astronomers’ discoveries.
Reshaping what we know about star formation
with its sharp
near- and mid-infrared observations.
Webb's images and data, known as spectra,
are so detailed
that they have already led
to immediate breakthroughs.
For example,
when Webb observed the Orion Bar,
researchers found intricate,
never-before-seen ridges
and waves in the gas
where massive stars are actively forming.
Massive young stars
actively shape the environments
around them
with powerful stellar
winds and ultraviolet light.
Webb also precisely
measured the chemical composition
of the Orion Bar,
revealing many molecules in this region
for the first time,
including methyl cation,
a pillar of organic chemistry.
The telescope has shown us delicate,
thread-like details in jets
and outflows launched by smaller,
still forming young stars.
In Webb's observations of
Herbig-Haro 211,
The inner jets seem to wiggle
with mirror symmetry.
This suggests that the star
at the center,
encased in thick dust,
might be two stars.
Before Webb,
researchers often saw jets
launched by actively forming stars
in a variety of directions.
In Webb's image of the Serpens Nebula,
Researchers immediately
spotted a curious alignment:
At least a dozen
forming stars have outflows
pointed the same way.
The alignment of the outflows
suggests that the stars formed along
the same magnetic field lines,
like spinning beads threaded on a string.
Webb's images and
spectra help astronomers
definitively map
where molecules and dusty
ice grains are around young stars.
Astronomers have pinpointed
a range of ices
in locations
like the Chamaeleon I Molecular Cloud.
Another first:
the identification of frozen water
in a dusty debris disk circling
a Sun-like star 155 light-years away.
Scientists had thought that frozen water
would exist around stars
other than our Sun,
but before Webb's observations,
it had only been identified
in our own solar system.
By comprehensively
cataloging raw ingredients
like these, researchers
will soon figure out how
they are produced around stars.
Webb has also expanded where we can look.
Now we can observe how stars form
in other nearby galaxies in great detail.
Millions of stars
pop out in the spiral arms of galaxies
like NGC 628.
Its stars have also blown away
gas and dust, clearing massive cavities.
Within other galaxies Webb has observed,
researchers have identified
thousands of individual star-forming regions,
found embedded star clusters,
and detected individual stars
that are actively forming.
Webb will help astronomers piece together
how star formation
plays out within galaxies.
The best part?
Webb is only getting started —
expect to learn a lot more
about how stars form in the coming years.
How exactly do stars form?
The James
Webb Space Telescope
has peered deeply
into dusty regions of space
and is already helping us answer this
and many more questions.
Stars take shape over millions of years
in super cold clouds
that are filled with gas and dust.
For decades,
our views of developing stars
were limited
in part by the technology
of our telescopes.
Either we couldn't see
through dusty clouds
to observe these stars,
or we couldn't see them in enough detail.
In only three years,
Webb has supercharged astronomers
discoveries,
reshaping what we know
about star formation
with its sharp Nir
and mid-infrared observations.
Webbs images and data,
known as spectra,
are so detailed
that they have already led
to immediate breakthroughs.
For example,
when Webb observed the Orion Bar,
researchers found intricate,
never before seen ridges
and waves in the gas
where massive stars are actively forming,
massive young stars
actively shaped
the environments around them
with powerful stellar
winds and ultraviolet light.
Webb also precisely measured
the chemical composition
of the Orion Bar,
revealing many molecules in this region
for the first time,
including methyl cat iron,
a pillar of organic chemistry.
The telescope has shown us delicate
thread like details
in the jets
and outflows launched by smaller,
still forming stars.
In Webb's observations of her
big Hero 211.
The inner jets seem to wiggle
with mere symmetry.
This suggests
that the star at the center,
encased in thick dust,
might be two stars.
Before Webb,
researchers often saw jets
launch by actively forming stars
in a variety of directions.
In Webb's image of the Serpent's Nebula.
Researchers immediately
spotted a curious alignment.
At least a dozen
forming stars
have outflows pointing
in the same direction.
The alignment of their outflows suggests
that the stars formed along
the same magnetic field lines,
like spinning beads threaded on a string.
Webb's images and spectra
help astronomers
definitively map
where molecules and dusty ice
grains are around young stars.
Astronomers
have pinpointed a
range of ices in locations
like the chameleon one molecular cloud
another first,
the identification of frozen water
in a dusty debris disk
circling a sun
like star 155 light years away.
Scientists had thought that frozen water
would exist around stars
other than our sun.
But before Webb's observation,
it had only been identified
in our own solar system.
By comprehensively cataloging
raw ingredients like these.
Researchers will soon
figure out how
they are produced around stars.
Webb is also expanded where we can look
Now we can observe how stars form
in other nearby galaxies in great detail.
Millions of stars
pop out
in the spiral arms of galaxies
like NGC 628.
Its stars have also blown away
gas and dust,
clearing out massive cavities
Within other galaxies, Webb has observed.
Researchers have identified
thousands of individual star
forming regions
found embedded star
clusters, and detected
individual stars
that are actively forming.
Webb will help astronomers peers together
how star formation
plays out within galaxies.
The best part?
Webb is only getting started.
Expect to learn a lot more
about how stars form in the coming years.