NASA’s Webb Offers Stunning View of Exploded Star

NASA’s Webb offers stunning view of exploded star. NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope presents a fresh image of the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A (Cas A), resembling a gleaming, spherical ornament poised for the perfect holiday tree placement. First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, during the 2023 Holidays at the White House, unveiled the inaugural White House Advent Calendar, focusing on the “Magic, Wonder, and Joy” of the season with NASA, showcasing this Webb image.

Amidst the brightness, this isn’t merely a serene scene. Webb’s NIRCam unveils Cas A with unprecedented resolution, offering a close-up view of the intricate details within the expanding shell of material from the star’s explosion interacting with the shed gas.

NASA’s Webb offers stunning view of exploded star: remnants of a supernova

Cas A stands as one of the extensively studied remnants of a supernova across the universe. Through various observatories—both ground-based and space-based like NASA’s Chandra X-Ray Observatory, Hubble Space Telescope, and the retired Spitzer Space Telescope—a comprehensive multiwavelength depiction of the remnant has been compiled over the years.

However, a new phase in Cas A’s exploration commenced in April 2023 when Webb’s MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) began uncovering unexpected features within the supernova remnant’s inner shell. Some of these distinct features, undetectable in the recent NIRCam image, have captured the attention of astronomers who are keen on exploring the reasons behind this invisibility.

Describing the unseen, infrared light is rendered visible through color representation by image processors and scientists. The latest image of Cas A, derived from NIRCam’s various filters, reveals a palette reflecting different ongoing activities within the object.

NASA’s Webb offers stunning view of exploded star: the NIRCam image

While the NIRCam image may seem less vibrant compared to the MIRI one, it’s a result of the wavelengths emitted by the remnant’s material. In the latest Webb image, prominent shades of bright orange and light pink represent clusters forming the inner shell. Webb’s exceptional clarity exposes minute gas knots comprising sulfur, oxygen, argon, and neon remnants from the exploded star. Embedded within this gas are dust particles and molecules, which will eventually contribute to the formation of new stars and planetary systems.

Some debris filaments are too minuscule for Webb to resolve, measuring as small as or even less than 10 billion miles across. In contrast, Cas A spans an extensive 10 light-years or approximately 60 trillion miles.

Lead researcher Danny Milisavljevic of Purdue University highlights the profound insight provided by NIRCam’s resolution, shedding light on the star’s explosive demise, leaving behind filaments resembling tiny shards of glass. He expresses astonishment at these newfound details, calling them transformative in understanding the explosion’s dynamics, even after extensive years of Cas A exploration.

Webb’s new near-infrared view of the Cas A supernova

Webb’s new near-infrared view of the Cas A supernova reveals interesting details. The inner and outer shells lack the vibrant colors seen in the mid-infrared view. The deep orange and red hues visible in the MIRI image appear as smoky clouds, marking where the supernova’s shockwave interacts with surrounding material. Dust in this material emits light in the mid-infrared but remains undetectable in the near-infrared due to its cool temperature.

The white color observed is synchrotron radiation, produced by high-speed charged particles spiraling around magnetic fields. This radiation is visible in bubble-like shells at the lower part of the inner cavity. In the near-infrared view, the loop of green light nicknamed the Green Monster, which previously puzzled researchers, is notably absent.

Although the ‘green’ isn’t visible in the NIRCam image, faint outlines of circular holes indicate ionized gas left by the supernova’s debris pushing through and shaping the gas pre-existing the explosion. Another surprising discovery is the Baby Cas A, resembling a striated blob at the bottom right corner of the NIRCam’s field of view. Ancient explosion light causes a light echo by reaching distant dust, warming it, and causing a glow. Although it appears close, Baby Cas A actually lies about 170 light-years behind the supernova remnant.

Webb’s recent portrait also captures multiple smaller light echoes besides the main features.

The Cas A supernova remnant resides 11,000 light-years away in the Cassiopeia constellation. We believe it exploded about 340 years ago from our perspective.

Read the original article on sciencedaily.

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