The data from Webb could provide insights into whether massive stars are more likely to form near the galactic center rather than the galaxy's spiral arms.
The image contains approximately 500,000 stars and provides detailed insights into stellar formation.
The image shows a cluster of protostars, stars that are still forming and gaining mass, producing outflows that glow like a bonfire in the midst of an infrared-dark cloud.
The image shows a portion of the Sagittarius C region, a star-forming area about 300 light-years from the galaxy's central supermassive black hole.
The James Webb Space Telescope has revealed new features within the heart of the Milky Way.
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has unveiled new features within the heart of the Milky Way, providing an unprecedented glimpse into the dense center of our galaxy. The latest image, captured by the telescope, reveals a portion of the Sagittarius C region, a star-forming area approximately 300 light-years from the galaxy's central supermassive black hole, Sagittarius A*.
The image, which contains approximately 500,000 stars, has brought to light never-before-seen features that astronomers are yet to explain. Among these features is a cluster of protostars, stars that are still in the process of formation and gaining mass. These protostars are producing outflows that glow like a bonfire in the midst of an infrared-dark cloud.
One of the most notable findings is a massive protostar over 30 times the mass of our Sun at the heart of this young cluster. This discovery, along with smaller infrared-dark clouds where future stars are forming, provides detailed insights into stellar formation.
The proximity of the galactic center allows the Webb telescope to study individual stars, offering astronomers unprecedented information on how stars form and how this process may depend on the cosmic environment. The data from Webb could also provide insights into whether massive stars are more likely to form near the galactic center rather than the galaxy's spiral arms.
These findings could potentially help astronomers understand more about the early universe and the formation of stars within our galaxy.
The data from Webb could provide insights into star formation in the galaxy's center and whether massive stars are more likely to form near the galactic center rather than the galaxy's spiral arms.
The article also mentions a massive protostar over 30 times the mass of our Sun at the heart of this young cluster and smaller infrared-dark clouds where future stars are forming.
The image also shows a cluster of protostars, stars that are still forming and gaining mass, producing outflows that glow like a bonfire in the midst of an infrared-dark cloud.
The galactic center is close enough to study individual stars with the Webb telescope, allowing astronomers to gather unprecedented information on how stars form, and how this process may depend on the cosmic environment.