James Webb Space Telescope revealed new stunning details about the Cassiopeia A supernova remnant.
The images of the Cas A created by a stellar explosion 340 years ago, show the distribution of elements into the shockwave created by the supernova explosion, which has been found to be more complex than previously thought.
By studying the remnant’s structure and composition, scientists hope to better understand the processes that shape the universe.
In comparison, Hubble’s view of Cassiopeia A. Credit ESA
The striking colors of the new Cas A image, in which infrared light is translated into visible-light wavelengths, hold a wealth of scientific information that researchers are just beginning to tease out. On the bubble’s exterior, particularly at the top and left, lie curtains of material appearing orange and red due to emission from warm dust. This marks where ejected material from the exploded star is ramming into surrounding circumstellar gas and dust.
source ESA
