NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s near-infrared view of the Cat’s Paw Nebula reveals mini “toe beans.” Massive young stars are carving the gas and dust while their bright starlight is producing a bright nebulous glow. Eventually this turbulent region will quench star formation. Photo courtesy of NASA
July 10 (UPI) — NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has revealed thick, dusty layers of the Cat’s Claw Nebula, a region of star formation about 5,500 light-years away in the constellation Scorpius, the agency has announced.
“It’s the cat’s meow,” NASA said in a release.
NASA focused the James Webb Space Telescope’s Near-Infrared Camera on a single “toe bean” within a subset of toe beans in the nebula, which appear to contain young stars shaping the surrounding gas and dust in the star-forming region.
The discovery is the result of years of research in this part of space.
“Three years into its mission, Webb continues to deliver on its design — revealing previously hidden aspects of the universe, from the star formation process to some of the earliest galaxies,” said Shawn Domagal-Goldman, acting director of the Astrophysics Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
Domagal-Goldman added that the discovery will inform future research in this largely unexplored nebular region and create more research opportunities for scientists as they pursue an understanding of dark matter, search for life in other parts of the solar system or seek to find Earth-like planets.
“The questions Webb has raised are just as exciting as the answers it’s giving us,” he continued.
The toe bean discovery will also give researchers an opportunity to study the turbulent cloud-to-star formation process.