It’s located in the constellation Orion and it’s likely one of the most famous cosmic structures of its kind. Now, the James Webb Space telescope has turned its mid- and near-infrared camera towards this storied spot in space and we’re now getting to see it like never before.
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00:00This is what is often referred to as the Horsehead Nebula.
00:07It's located in the constellation Orion, and it's likely one of the most famous cosmic
00:11structures of its kind.
00:13But now the James Webb Space Telescope has turned its mid and near-infrared camera towards
00:17this storied spot in space, and we're getting to see it like never before.
00:22Astronomers have pointed the telescope at the very peak of the nebulous cloud, revealing
00:25never-before-seen details.
00:27The Horsehead Nebula looks like this in optical light, where the main cloud of gas appears
00:31more like a hole in the cloud of glowing gas that surrounds it.
00:35In mid and near-infrared, however, the details are much more pronounced, showing tendrils,
00:39texture, and cosmic filament reaching out into space.
00:42The nebula is also what is often referred to as a stellar nursery, or where stars are
00:47born.
00:48The top of the Horsehead is actually a dense collection of gas and dust which have collapsed
00:51under the weight of itself.
00:53It is here that infant stars are given life, providing astronomers a front-row seat to
00:57stellar formation.
00:58But this is just the beginning, as experts say these new images will also help them better
01:02understand other processes happening inside and around the Horsehead Nebula as well.