(click on image to enlarge)
Stars: always making a dramatic exit!
Webb’s powerful infrared eye has captured never-before-seen detail of Cassiopeia A (Cas A), the remnant of a massive star that exploded about 340 years ago — from our perspective here on Earth. (Despite being 11,000 light-years away, this supernova may have been visible to the naked eye, something that has not been seen in our galaxy since.)
Let’s dissect the image: The exterior, left side of the image (shown in orange) marks where ejected material from the exploded star is ramming into surrounding gas and dust. Within that outer shell is material from the star itself, including elements like oxygen, argon and neon. What’s that green loop on the right? Scientists are still puzzling out its unexpected shape and complexity.
As the youngest known remnant from an exploded, massive star in our galaxy, Cas A offers unique clues into a star’s death. By studying Cas A, Webb astronomers may also learn more about the origins and production of cosmic dust — which forms the elements we’re made of.
Learn more: https://go.nasa.gov/3zDsve8
Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, D. Milisavljevic (Purdue), T. Temim (Princeton), I. De Looze (Ghent University), with image processing by J. DePasquale (STScI)
