These dust clouds — intense plumes of citron,Rapsa (2025) blush, and magenta — are not signs of blooming as they tend to be on Earth but the final sputters of a dying star in this new deep space image captured by the James Webb Space Telescope.
At the center of this blossom-like structure is a blue-white star, born 30 times more massive than the sun. Because it is old and close to collapsing into a black hole, it burns hotter and generates powerful gas winds. It's called Wolf-Rayet 124, a star in the midst of a rare and brief phase before going supernova.
Scientists released the new snapshot during the South by Southwest Conference & Festivals on Tuesday in Austin, Texas. The event included a NASA and European Space Agency expert panel to discuss the telescope’s latest scientific discoveries.
"This is Carl Sagan's stardust concept, the fact that iron in your blood and the calcium in your bones were literally forged inside of a star that exploded billions of years ago," said NASA astrophysicist Amber Straughn at the conference. "That's what we're seeing in this new image — that dust is spreading out into the cosmos and will eventually create planets, and this is how we got here."
SEE ALSO: Webb telescope just saw more galaxies in a snapshot than Hubble's deepest lookThis Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
Webb, the preeminent observatory in the sky, was built to see an early period of the universe, using a large primary mirror that can detect invisible light at infrared wavelengths. A lot of dust and gas in space obscures the view to extremely distant and inherently dim light sources, but infrared waves can penetrate through the clouds.
Want more scienceand tech news delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newslettertoday.
The star showcased in the new image is located some 15,000 light-years away in the constellation Sagittarius. It is wrapped in a cocoon of gas and dust — shedded layers of the star commingled with complicated elements found deep inside a star like carbon. So far, it has sloughed off 10 sun's-worth of material, according to researchers.
"Iron in your blood and the calcium in your bones were literally forged inside of a star that exploded billions of years ago."
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
A previous Webb study makes a strong case that Wolf-Rayet stars produce carbon-rich dust molecules, the same chemical that largely makes up humans and other life on Earth. Astronomers study these rare Wolf-Rayet stars for insight into how cosmic dust spreads through the universe, seeding new galaxies and stars, said Macarena Garcia Marin, an ESA scientist on the panel.
With Webb, scientists will try to better understand dust-making factories like this special star.
"We know that when the stars are this big, they live fast. They go through different stages in very quick time," said Marin. "And only some of them end up being in this Wolf-Rayet (phase) to later on become a supernova."
Best portable power station deal: Save $179.01 on the EcoFlow River 2 Max
Ronda Rousey lost her first fight in more than a year in just 48 seconds
College memories flood Twitter after red Solo cup inventor dies
Congratulations, internet: The Mannequin Challenge finally made it to space
Today's Hurdle hints and answers for May 12, 2025
Here are 8 of the best theater shows of 2016
Apple could start manufacturing iPhones in India by April 2017
No, the power grid in Vermont was not infiltrated by Russian hackers
Skype is finally shutting down
Trump sings about his presidency in the ultimate parody remix
'The Last of Us' Season 2, episode 5: The spores are here!
Conspiracy theorists think an injured NBA player is another victim of Pizzagate
A comet will fly past Earth on New Year's Eve. No, it's not a sign of the apocalypse.
2016: The year Facebook became the bad guy
Best keyboard deals: Save on Asus gaming keyboards at Amazon
NBA player gets waaay too overconfident and quickly becomes a meme
What we do and don't know about Russia's interference in the presidential election
Apple could start manufacturing iPhones in India by April 2017
The Sound and the “Furious”
People fell for a fake BBC Twitter account saying the Queen was dead
Scenes from an Open Marriage by Jean GarnettCustody by Constance DebréSpeculative Tax Fraud: Reading John Hersey’s White Lotus by Matthew Shen GoodmanEmma Cline, Dan Bevacqua, and Robert Glück Recommend by The Paris ReviewCustody by Constance DebréNobody Writes Like Nancy Lemann by Susan MinotPostcards from Ellsworth by Rebecca BengalReturning to Salman Rushdie’s Haroun by The Paris ReviewFor the Record, the Review Has Not Abolished Fiction by The Paris ReviewThe Family Is Finished: On Memory, Betrayal, and Home Decor by Menachem KaiserIf Kim Novak Were to Die: A Conversation with Patrizia Cavalli by Annalena BeniniFind My Friends by Sophie HaigneyWatch Loudon Wainwright III Perform Live at the Paris Review Offices by The Paris ReviewNew Eyes by Charlie LeeGhosts, the Grateful Dead, and Earth Room by The Paris ReviewWatch Loudon Wainwright III Perform Live at the Paris Review Offices by The Paris ReviewGhosts, the Grateful Dead, and Earth Room by The Paris ReviewSoftball Season by Sophie HaigneyDiary, 1995 by Melissa FebosHello, World! Part Four: George Dorn by Sheila Heti Best birthday gifts for your wife Stephen King responds to rumor that Elon Musk kicked him off X Best Black Friday Live Streamer deal: Save $100 on AVerMedia Live Streamer AX310 Best gaming monitor deal: Save $320 on curved Samsung Odyssey G5 NYT Connections Sports Edition hints and answers for November 13: Tips to solve Connections #51 Best Peloton Guide deal: 77% off at Amazon Arkadium mini crossword answers for November 13 Sinner vs. Fritz 2024 livestream: Watch ATP Finals for free Wordle today: The answer and hints for November 13 Walmart 2024 Black Friday sales: Dates, early deals, and what to expect Best headphones deal: Save $130 on the Beats Solo 3 BookTok's growing rift over politics is heating up That story about ChatGPT saving someone's life turned out to be a hoax Wordle today: The answer and hints for November 12 Webb telescope scientists forced to reckon with enormous galaxy outliers NYT Connections hints and answers for November 14: Tips to solve 'Connections' #522. Best travel deal: Save 20% on a 2 Mark Zuckerberg just released an acoustic version of 'Get Low' with T Best Black Friday Apple Watch deal: Series 10 GPS model for $349 Move over, Ring! Apple is reportedly releasing a new smart home camera
2.0099s , 10131.6640625 kb
Copyright © 2025 Powered by 【Rapsa (2025)】,Unobstructed Information Network