Cosmic dust

The Lion Nebula NGC 2392 has a bright core, pink rings, and a purple-blue envelope resembling a lion's mane.

Webb Telescope Reveals the Lion Nebula's Dust "Mane"

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A new infrared image of NGC 2392 shows a bubble of ionized gas, rings, and comet-like dust clumps around the hot core of a dying star. The nebula is expected to dissipate within about 10,000 years.
A dense field of stars, gas, and dust at the center of the Milky Way in the region where IRS 3 is located

Webb detects water in the mantle of a star near the black hole at the center of the Milky Way

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Observations with the MIRI instrument showed that IRS 3 is an aging, oxygen-rich giant star, surrounded by layers of dust and gas. According to the researchers' model, it is losing about the mass of Earth every
Dust may betray supermassive black holes kicked out of galaxy centers

Dust may betray supermassive black holes kicked out of galaxy centers

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An analysis of about 100 quasars has found a statistical relationship between the velocity shift of gas near a black hole and the amount of dust obscuring it. The researchers suggest that the pattern could be used to detect black holes.
Birth of a black hole from a collapsing star – The black hole itself is not visible; around it is an expanding envelope of dust and gas that is drawn in. Credit: Keith Miller, Caltech/IPAC – SELab.

A star in Andromeda “disappeared” without a supernova – and appears to have collapsed directly into a black hole

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Analysis of observations from 2005 to 2023 indicates a “failed supernova”: core collapse into a black hole, ejection of outer layers, creation of dust and infrared glow that could remain visible for decades to come
Cassiopeia A supernova. Image credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, Danny Milisavljevic (Purdue University), Tea Temim (Princeton University), Ilse De Looze (UGhent). Processing: Joseph DePasquale (STScI).

James Webb Telescope reveals unprecedented details in supernova remnant Cassiopeia A

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Infrared image reveals complex structures, the "green monster," and a glimpse into the sources of cosmic dust – the building blocks of stars, planets, and life
This image shows a detailed, thousand-colour image of the Sculptor Galaxy, captured by the MUSE instrument on ESO’s Very Large Telescope. Scattered throughout this image of the entire galaxy are areas of pink light, originating from ionised hydrogen in star-forming regions. These areas have been superimposed on a map of stars already forming in the Sculptor, creating the mix of pinks and blues seen here. Credit: ESO/E. Congiu et al.

Astronomers Capture a Detailed, Multi-Color Image of the Sculptor Galaxy

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A highly detailed new map of the Sculptor Galaxy reveals hidden stellar life and structures, providing new insights into how small-scale processes affect entire galaxies.
This composite image shows a portion of the interstellar medium where scientists searched for sulfur using X-ray imaging of Charisma. The X-ray binary system GX 340+0 is the blue dot in the center. The image is a blend of X-ray (shown in dark blue), E-ray, and light images. Credit: DSS/DECaPS/eRosita/NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center

X-ray satellite CHRISMA reveals missing sulfur in Milky Way

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High-resolution observations of star-forming regions reveal sulfur as both a gas and a solid in the interstellar medium—hinting at the composition of dust and the chemistry of the galaxy
This image of the Sombrero galaxy, taken by Webb's Medium AA camera, is shown with compass arrows, a scale, and a color key. The image shows wavelengths of medium AA light translated into visible light colors. The color key shows the filters used when they collected the light. The color of each filter name is the color of the visible light used to represent the AA light passing through that filter. The north and east compass arrows show the direction of the image in the sky. Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI

The Webb Space Telescope photographs the Sombrero Galaxy in a new light

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This image taken by Webb shows an ancient quasar (in the red circle) with fewer neighboring galaxies than expected. Credit: Christina Eilers/EIGER team

The Webb Space Telescope discovers quasars where they shouldn't exist

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Astronomers have used the Web to discover individual ancient quasars of uncertain origin
A star exploding is a dramatic event, but the remnants it leaves behind can be even more dramatic. A new mid-infrared image from the James Webb Space Telescope provides one striking example. It shows the remnants of the supernova Cassiopeia A (Cas A), which was created by a stellar explosion 340 years ago. The image displays vivid colors and complex structures. Cas A is the youngest known remnant of a massive exploding star in our galaxy, offering astronomers an opportunity to understand the process of a star's death. Image credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, D. Milisavljevic (Purdue University), T. Temim (Princeton University), I. De Looze (UGent), J. DePasquale (STScI)

Let's see how Cassiopeia is doing: Webb reveals new details on the Cassiopeia A supernova

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Webb recorded what remained after the death of a star only 11 thousand light years away from us. It is a relatively new supernova - only 350 years old
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