James Webb Space Telescope Feed Post

Peeking into Perseus (NGC 1333)

A stellar view! NGC 1333 is a nearby star-forming region. Webb’s sharp infrared vision lets us peer through the dusty veil to reveal newborn stars, brown dwarfs, and planetary mass objects. Many of the young stars in this image are surrounded by discs of gas and dust, which may eventually produce planetary systems. On the right-hand side of the image, we can glimpse the shadow of one of these discs oriented edge-on — two dark cones emanating from opposite sides, seen against a bright background. Read more: esawebb.org/images/potm2408a/ Hubble’s released a view of this nebula in 2023 for its 33rd anniversary. Hubble just scratches the surface because most of the firestorm of star birth is hidden behind clouds of fine dust. Find Hubble’s 33rd anniversary image here: science.nasa.gov/missions/hubble/hubble-celebrates-33rd-a... Image description: A nebula made up of cloudy gas and dust in the form of soft and wispy clouds and, in the center, thin and highly detailed layers pressed close together. Large, bright stars surrounded by six long points of light are dotted over the image, as well as some small, point-like stars embedded in the clouds. The clouds are lit up in blue close to the stars; orange colors show clouds that glow in infrared light. Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, A. Scholz, K. Muzic, A. Langeveld, R. Jayawardhana Image & Description by NASA