CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – The James Webb Space Telescope has successfully imaged a stream of gas and dust emanating from a nascent star, set against the backdrop of a breathtaking spiral galaxy.
The combined imagery gives the illusion that the outflow of stellar matter is akin to a rocket’s exhaust trail propelling it toward the distant galaxy. The unveiling of this image was made public by space agencies on Monday.
According to reports, this outflow is located roughly 625 light-years from our planet, situated within one of the closest areas of star formation in the Milky Way. A light-year is defined as a distance of approximately 6 trillion miles.
Webb, launched in 2021 as the successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, captured the scene using infrared technology. Officials described it as a fortunate alignment of two distinct celestial objects.
Previously, in 2006, the now-retired Spitzer Space Telescope also captured an image of the same area, with scientists referring to the stellar jet as the "cosmic tornado." However, the resolution was insufficient to discern the background galaxy and its features clearly. Webb is celebrated as the largest and most advanced space observatory ever created.