• 6 months ago
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.

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