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Saturday, June 29 2024
Science

NASA’s Webb Snaps Stunning Horsehead Nebula

Photo Credit : Instagram

United States Space Agency Space enthusiasts are enthralled with NASA’s frequent release of breathtaking images from our universe. Fans of educational films and eye-catching photos of Earth and space will find a wealth of content on NASA’s social media accounts. The space agency recently treated its Instagram followers to the sharpest infrared photos of a close-up of the Horsehead Nebula, one of the most recognizable objects in the sky, that have been taken by the James Webb Spac telescope.

A portion of the sky in the constellation Orion is visible in the image.The Horsehead Nebula, also known as Barnard 33, is located about 1,300 light-years away and rises from turbulent waves of gas and dust, according to a NASA news release.

A striking cosmic scene has been captured in a new way by Webb’s intense gaze. Stars are created in the Orion constellation by the whirling Orion B molecular cloud. The famous Horsehead Nebula, also called Barnard 33, rises from this turbulent region and is about 1,300 light-years away, according to a NASA news release.

The Horsehead Nebula was formed when a massive interstellar cloud collapsed, and it was shaped by the strong light from a nearby star.The densest pockets remain after the surrounding gas has been blown away, forming the characteristic pillar of the nebula.It will take this cosmic horse approximately five million years to erode away, according to astronomers.

Webb’s keen eye focuses on the illuminated edge of the Horsehead’s pinnacle.  This region is a photodissociation region (PDR), where fierce ultraviolet light from young, massive stars interacts with dust and gas.  This energetic radiation creates a warm, mostly neutral zone, shaping the chemistry of the nebula and acting as a powerful heat source.

Along with the picture, NASA wrote, “Formed from a collapsing interstellar cloud of material being illuminated by a nearby hot star. The nebula is a massive cloud of gas and dust; astronomers expect it to disintegrate within the next five million years, along with the gas clouds surrounding the Horsehead that have already dissipated. Until then, astronomers have found this region to be one of the best for studying how radiation from stars interacts with interstellar matter.”

 

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A post shared by NASA (@nasa)

Since being posted on Instagram, the post has amassed nearly 2 lakh likes and an array of comments from space enthusiasts.

“Shine bright like a diamond,” a user wrote.

“What a remarkable sight,” another user commented.

“Astounding,” the third user wrote.

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