Cosmic dust

Two supernovae 22 million light-years away ejected dust into their region of the universe, Webb Space Telescope observations reveal, indicating that violent stellar deaths could give rise to new star systems.Webb Telescope Images the Pillars of CreationSupernovae are luminous stellar deaths; when some stars die, they explode outwards, spewing their material across the cosmos.The supernovae currently in question are SN 2004et and SN 2017eaw, and both are in NGC 6946 — the Fireworks Galaxy. Webb imaged the two objects using…

The Webb telescope team has detected water ice and frozen complex molecules in a molecular cloud about 630 light-years from Earth. By the scientists’ measure, the frigid findings are the deepest, coldest yet found in such a cloud.Molecular clouds are large, dark, dusty regions of space that often act as stellar nurseries, as they host the ingredients necessary for star formation. The clouds also host organic molecules; last year, researchers peering at a molecular cloud near the center of our galaxy found building blocks…

The Tarantula Nebula gets its name from its appearance, which is similar to that of a burrowing tarantula’s hole covered in spider silk. Image: NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScIThe latest wonder from the Webb Space Telescope is a new look at the Tarantula Nebula, a swirling mass of infantile and yet-to-be conceived stars. What looks like spider silk surrounds a hollowed-out center, where material has been blasted away by radiation, according to a NASA release. A nebula is a massive cloud of dust occupying the interstellar medium…