Tag: infrared
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Baby Star Factory: JWST Unveils Sagittarius B2’s Hidden Star Birth
What JWST Reveals About a Cosmic Cloud The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has turned its infrared gaze toward Sagittarius B2 (Sgr B2), a colossal molecular cloud located near the center of our Milky Way. Although Sgr B2 contains only about 10% of the galactic center’s gas, it is a prolific cradle for star formation,…
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A Celestial Autumn: JWST Reveals an Intricate Web of Chaos in Colliding Galaxies
Overview: A New Cosmic Portrait The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has delivered another breathtaking view of the cosmos, this time presenting two colliding spiral galaxies in a striking, autumn-inspired palette. The image focuses on NGC 2207 (lower right) and IC 2163 (upper left), a pair whose gravitational dance has sculpted a complex tapestry of…
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Webb Reveals Fiery Starburst in the Cigar Galaxy — Space Photo of the Week
Introduction: A celestial blaze in M82 Every now and then a single image can redefine our view of a nearby galaxy. This week, the James Webb Space Telescope brings us into a fiery chapter of star formation in the Cigar Galaxy, also known as M82. The new image showcases a dramatic starburst region where newborn…
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Forensic Imaging Reveals Hidden Layers in Nolan’s Ned Kelly
Forensic imaging opens a window into Nolan’s Ned Kelly universe Conservators and scientists are applying techniques once reserved for crime labs and medical research to Sidney Nolan’s iconic Ned Kelly paintings. At the Canberra Museum and Gallery, a multidisciplinary team is using advanced imaging to peer beneath the flat, homogenous surface produced by Nolan’s choice…
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How Australian scientists sharpened James Webb Telescope’s vision from a million kilometres away
Overview: A distant problem, a local solution When the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) launched in 2021, the world watched with awe at humanity’s most powerful eye into the cosmos. Yet even as the telescope floated in space, a stubborn challenge persisted: subtle image blur arising from how Webb’s instruments handle light. For Australian scientists,…
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JWST Captures M87 Jet: Clearest Infrared View of Black Hole
JWST Delivers the Clearest Infrared Portrait of M87’s Jet The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has produced the most detailed infrared image yet of the colossal jet blasting from the heart of the giant elliptical galaxy M87. In four infrared bands captured by JWST’s Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam), the jet appears as a luminous pink…
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Phosphine Detected in Brown Dwarf Atmosphere
Biosignatures, phosphine, and the brown-dwarf twist In the search for life beyond Earth, scientists look for biosignatures—molecules whose presence could signal biology. Phosphine is one such candidate because on our planet it is produced primarily by anaerobic organisms and is rarely formed through abiotic processes in oxygen-rich environments. Yet before scientists declare any molecule a…
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Earth Receives Final NASA Laser Message From Psyche at Record Deep-Space Distance
The milestone: Psyche’s infrared laser message from a record deep-space distance In December 2024, NASA confirmed a historic achievement for space communications: the Psyche spacecraft successfully transmitted an infrared laser message back to Earth from roughly 494 million kilometers (about 307 million miles) away. The transmission marks a new benchmark in deep-space data links and…