Space Flight

JWST captured the most thrilling and inspiring space images of 2022

By Ben French 1 Min Read

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https://webbtelescope.org/contents/media/images/2022/053/01GFRYSFM89AFADVAA0W625BSB NASA?s James Webb Space Telescope?s mid-infrared view of the Pillars of Creation strikes a chilling tone. Thousands of stars that exist in this region disappear ? and seemingly endless layers of gas and dust become the centerpiece. The detection of dust by Webb?s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) is extremely important ? dust is a major ingredient for star formation. Many stars are actively forming in these dense blue-gray pillars. When knots of gas and dust with sufficient mass form in these regions, they begin to collapse under their own gravitational attraction, slowly heat up ? and eventually form new stars. Although the stars appear missing, they aren?t. Stars typically do not emit much mid-infrared light. Instead, they are easiest to detect in ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared light. In this MIRI view, two types of stars can be identified. The stars at the end of the thick, dusty pillars have recently eroded the material surrounding them. They show up in red because their atmospheres are still enshrouded in cloaks of dust. In contrast, blue tones indicate stars that are older and have shed most of their gas and dust.

The famous Pillars of Creation, as seen by JWST

NASA, ESA, CSA STSCI

Astronomers began 2022 waiting with bated breath for the first images from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). It arrived at its orbital parking spot in January, then aligned its mirrors and tested its cameras.

There were 344 “single-point failures” – elements of the launch and deployment of the telescope that would have been catastrophic if they went wrong – and not a single one proved to be a problem.

NASA released the telescope’s first fantastic images in July, showing the Carina …

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