WEBVTT

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NGC 346, a star cluster
that lies within a nebula,

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is located 210,000
light years away.

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It resides within the Small
Magellanic Cloud, a dwarf

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galaxy close to our Milky Way.

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New findings from NASA's
James Webb Space Telescope

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reveal the presence of a
much more intricate network

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of gas and dust
structures than previously

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discovered in the area.

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Within this plume of gas
is cold molecular hydrogen,

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which provides a perfect
environment for young stars

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to form, some of which
can be seen here.

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These young stars
generate energy

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that heats the gas,
energizing and splitting

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the molecular hydrogen. This
effectively carves rough ridges

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into the gas.

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This area appears to show
the head of a dragon spitting

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out balls of hot gas.

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Its eye and the balls of gas are
areas of active star formation,

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which will continue to change
the environment around it.

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These wisps are more evidence
of that environmental change.

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Winds from nearby
stars are blowing away

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material that surrounds
still forming stars leaving

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these small structures behind.

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Here we see curly
ribbons of glowing gas

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that outline the cold
molecular gas of the region.

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These many pillars of
creation show how pervasive

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the stellar erosion
is in the region.

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Eventually, over
millions of years,

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the mixture of energized
and dense hydrogen

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will give way to
thousands of stars

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and far more of these
filamentary structures.

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[UPLIFTING MUSIC]