James Webb Telescope’s ‘Starlit Mountaintop’ Image – Space Photo of the Week
- * what was observed: The James Webb Space Telescope captured an image of a young star cluster called Pismis 24, located 5,500 light-years from our solar system.
here’s a breakdown of the key data from the provided text:
* what was observed: The James Webb Space Telescope captured an image of a young star cluster called Pismis 24, located 5,500 light-years from our solar system.
* Notable Features: The cluster contains massive, towering spires of gas adn dust. The tallest spire is 5.4 light-years high – equivalent to about 200 solar systems extending to Neptune’s orbit.
* erosion & Star Formation: These spires are being eroded by stellar winds and ultraviolet radiation from the massive newborn stars within the cluster. This erosion actually fuels new star formation as the gas is compressed.
* Massive Stars: The stars in Pismis 24 are among the most massive known in the galaxy. Pismis 24-1, the brightest star, was initially thought to be 200-300 times the mass of our sun, exceeding the accepted upper limit for star mass. (Later research in 2006 refined this understanding – the text cuts off before detailing that refinement).
* Source: The information comes from the European Space Agency (ESA) and is based on observations from the James Webb Space Telescope.