NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope captures breathtaking new view of Cassiopeia A
A star that exploded in the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A (Cas A) has been captured in a breathtaking new image by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. This image was revealed as part of the first-ever White House Advent Calendar, which was launched by First Lady of the United States, Dr Jill Biden, to highlight the “Magic, Wonder, and Joy” of the holiday season, according to the American space agency.
Cas A is one of the most thoroughly researched supernova remnants across the entire universe. The tattered remains of the object have been gradually captured in a multiwavelength image by a combination of ground- and space-based observatories, such as the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope.
Infrared light, which is undetectable to human vision, was used to capture the new image. Scientists and image processors then converted the infrared light wavelengths into colors that can be seen. The colors assigned to several Near Infrared Camera filters in the image each suggest a different activity taking place inside the object.
“The most noticeable colors in Webb’s newest image are clumps represented in bright orange and light pink that make up the inner shell of the supernova remnant. Webb’s razor-sharp view can detect the tiniest knots of gas, comprised of sulfur, oxygen, argon, and neon from the star itself. Embedded in this gas is a mixture of dust and molecules, which will eventually become components of new stars and planetary systems,” NASA stated.
Some debris filaments are equivalent to or less than 10 billion miles across, making them too small for even Webb to discern. By contrast, the whole of Cas A spans 10 light-years, or 60 trillion miles, according to NASA.
Danny Milisavljevic of Purdue University, who leads the research team, commented, “With NIRCam’s resolution, we can now see how the dying star absolutely shattered when it exploded, leaving filaments akin to tiny shards of glass behind. It’s really unbelievable after all these years studying Cas A to now resolve those details, which are providing us with transformational insight into how this star exploded.”
The new image provides a fascinating glimpse into the inner workings of this supernova remnant and serves as a reminder of the immense beauty and complexity of the universe.