Star formation in the Carina Nebula
The James Webb Telescope captured this view of a portion of the Carina Nebula in the constellation Carina in the infrared wavelength range. Numerous new stars are forming in this region.
The Carina Nebula is located about 7,500 light-years away from us in the southern constellation of Carina (Latin for keel). It spans approximately 260 light-years and is one of the most active star-forming regions in our galaxy. In this region of space, numerous new stars are forming—from low-mass red dwarfs to the bright representatives of spectral classes O and B, which shine many times brighter than our Sun. The brightest star in the shown section of the sky has 19 times the mass of our Sun. The nebula is therefore somewhat reminiscent of a treasure chest filled with numerous sparkling jewels, which is why it is also known in English as the "Treasure Chest." The brownish-red plumes consist of dust, whose radiation in the infrared wavelength range can be captured by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).
Inside the structure shown is an open star cluster estimated to be only 1.3 million years old. For comparison, our Sun and its planets are 4.57 billion years old. Because of its youth, the nascent star cluster is still deeply embedded in a cocoon of gas and dust from which its stars were formed. Now, the particularly massive ones are using their strong, high-energy radiation and intense stellar winds to blow away their surroundings, thereby exposing the cluster. They are, so to speak, kicking themselves free. Many of the lower-mass stars in the nebula are surrounded by disks of gas and dust, in which planets are likely currently forming.
The peculiar shape of the "Treasure Chest" is rooted in its neighborhood. Just about 39 light-years away and outside the frame of the image is one of the brightest stars in our galaxy: Eta Carinae. This tempestuous, massive star shines about five million times as brightly as our Sun and influences the shape of the nebula. This makes it appear a bit like a comet with a tail, albeit on a completely different scale.
The image was taken in four different infrared wavelengths, to which colors were assigned: blue stands for 1.62 micrometers (millionths of a meter), cyan for 1.64 micrometers, orange for 4.44 micrometers, and red for 4.70 micrometers. Thus, the region shown appears significantly different than in the visible spectrum. Furthermore, the JWST allows for a partial view into the nebula, which is not possible in the visible spectrum.
Here is the image in its full glory:
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