In honor of the first year of the James Webb space telescopeThe National Aeronautics and Space Administration, better known as NASA, has published the 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 through clouds of dust and seeing light from the far reaches of the universe for the first time. Each new image is a new discovery.enabling scientists around the world to ask and answer questions they never dreamed possible before,” said Bill Nelson, NASA Administrator.

The administrator noted that Webb is an investment in American innovation, but also a scientific achievement made possible by NASA’s international partners who share a can-do mentality to push the boundaries of what is known as possible. “Thousands of engineers, scientists and leaders poured their life passion into this mission.and their efforts will continue to advance our understanding of the origin of the universe and our place in it.”

The new Webb image released today shows the closest star-forming region to us. Its proximity to 390 light-years allows for a highly detailed close-up, with no foreground stars in the intervening space.

“On its first birthday, the James Webb Space Telescope has already fulfilled its promise to unfold the universegiving humanity an impressive treasure trove of imagery and science that will last for decades,” said Nicola Fox, associate administrator for NASA’s Science Mission.

Webb’s image shows a region of about 50 young stars, all of which are similar in mass to the Sun or smaller. The darkest regions are the densest, where thick dust envelopes form protostars.

Huge bipolar jets of molecular hydrogen, shown in red, dominate the image, appearing horizontally in the upper third and vertically to the right. These occur when a star first bursts through its natal shell of cosmic dust and shoots a pair of opposing jets into space like a newborn stretching its arms out into the world for the first time.

The star S1, on the other hand, has carved a cavern of glowing dust into the lower half of the image. It is the only star in the image that is significantly more massive than the Sun.

“Webb’s image of Rho Ophiuchi allows us to witness with new clarity a very short period in the life cycle of stars. Our own sun went through such a phase a long time ago and now we have the technology to see the beginning of another star’s history,” said Klaus Pontoppidan, who served as a Webb project scientist at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, Maryland. . , from before the telescope’s launch to its first year of operation.