2023-07-13 10:28:33
From our cosmic backyard in the solar system to distant galaxies near the dawn of time, in its first year of science operations the NASA James Webb Space Telescope has fulfilled its promise to reveal the universe like never before. To celebrate the completion of a successful first year, NASA has released Webb’s image of a small star-forming region in the Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex.
“In just one year, the James Webb Space Telescope has transformed humanity’s view of the cosmos, peering inside dust clouds and seeing light from far corners of the universe for the first time. Each new image is a new discovery, allowing scientists around the world to ask and answer questions they could never have dreamed of before.” Bill Nelsonthe administrator of NASA.
“Webb is an investment in American innovation, but also a scientific feat made possible with international partners of NASA [la ESA y la agencia espacial canadiense] who share the spirit of ‘willing is able’ to push the limits of what we know is possible. Thousands of engineers, scientists, and leaders poured their life’s passion into this mission, and their efforts will continue to advance our understanding of the origins of the universe and our place within it.”
The Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex captured by Webb is the closest star-forming region to Earth
The new image of Webb published this Wednesday presents the nearest star-forming region us. Its proximity, 390 light-years away, allows for a highly detailed close-up, with no foreground stars in the intervening space.
“On its first anniversary, the James Webb Space Telescope has already fulfilled its promise to reveal the universe, gifting humanity with a stunning treasure trove of images and science that will last for decades,” he said. Nicola Foxassociate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington.
“An engineering marvel built by the world’s leading scientists and engineers, Webb has given us a more intricate understanding of galaxies, stars and the atmospheres of planets outside our solar system than ever before, laying the foundation for NASA to lead the world in a new era of scientific discovery and the search for habitable worlds,” he added.
Young stars with the mass of the Sun
The Webb image shows a region containing some 50 young stars, all of them similar in mass to the Sun, or smaller. The darkest regions are the densest, where thick dust shrouds forming protostars.
Huge bipolar jets of molecular hydrogen, depicted in red, dominate the image
huge bipolar jets of molecular hydrogenrepresented in red, dominate the image, appearing horizontally from one side to the other in the upper third and vertically on the right side.
These jets occur when a star first bursts through its natal envelope of cosmic dust, shooting a pair of opposing jets into space like a newborn stretching its arms out into the world for the first time.
On the contrary, the star S1 has excavated a glowing dust cave in the lower half of the image. This is the only star in the image that is significantly more massive than the Sun.
“Webb’s image of Rho Ophiuchi allows us to see with new clarity a very short period in the life cycle of stars. Our own Sun experienced a phase like this, long ago, and now we have the technology to see the beginning of another star’s history.” Klaus PontoppidanWebb Project Scientist.
This image of Rho Ophiuchi allows us to witness with new clarity a very brief period in the life cycle of stars
Klaus Pontoppidan, Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore
Some stars in the image show telltale shadows that indicate protoplanetary disks: potential future planetary systems in the making.
A whole year across the whole sky
“The breadth of scientific exploration that Webb is capable of becomes really clear now, when we have a full year of all-sky target data,” he said. Eric Smitha researcher in the Astrophysics Division at NASA and the Webb program.
“Webb’s first year of science operations has not only taught us new things about our universe, but has revealed that the telescope’s capabilities are greater than our expectations, which means that future discoveries will be even more extraordinary.” .
Webb’s first year of science operations has not only taught us new things about our universe, it has revealed that the telescope’s capabilities are greater than our expectations.
Eric Smith, Division of Astrophysics at NASA Headquarters
The global astronomical community has spent the last year enthusiastically analyzing Webb’s initial public data and gaining insight into how to work with it. Beyond the impressive infrared images, what has really excited scientists are the sharp Webb spectra: the detailed information that can be obtained from light using the spectroscopic instruments of this telescope.
Webb’s spectra have confirmed the distance to some of the most distant galaxies ever observed, and have discovered the supermassive black holes older and more distant. These spectra have identified the composition of planetary atmospheres (or lack thereof) in more detail than ever before, and for the first time have refined the possible types of atmospheres that could exist on rocky exoplanets.
They have also revealed the chemical composition of the stellar nurseries and protoplanetary disks, detecting agua, organic molecules that contain carbon and other characteristics. Webb’s observations have already led to hundreds of scientific papers answering longstanding questions and raising new ones to address with this observatory.
Beyond the impressive infrared images, what has really excited scientists have been the sharp Webb spectra.
The breadth of Webb’s scientific mission is also evident in his observations of the region of space with which we are most familiar: the solar system. The faint rings of gas giants appear in the dark, dotted with moons, while Webb shows distant galaxies in the background.
By comparing detections of water and other molecules in our solar system with those found in the disks of much younger planetary systems, Webb is helping to develop clues about our own origins: how the Tierra it became the ideal place for life as we know it.
“With a year of scientific exploration under our belt, we know exactly how powerful this telescope is, and we have provided a year of spectacular data and discoveries,” he said. Jane RigbyPrincipal Scientist for the Webb Project at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.
In addition, he has stated: “we have selected an ambitious set of observations for the second year, which is based on everything we have learned so far. Webb’s scientific mission is just beginning and there is much more to come.”
He james webb space telescope It is the world’s leading space science observatory. Webb is solving the mysteries of our solar system, seeing beyond distant worlds around other stars, and exploring the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. It is an international program run by NASA with its partners: ESA (European Space Agency) and the Canadian Space Agency (CSA).
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