Aura

James Webb Discoveries

Jewelled ring

Date: 7/5/2024

The Jewelled Ring quasar, RX J1131-1231, lies 6 billion light-years away in the constellation Crater. Gravitational lensing by a foreground galaxy distorts the quasar's image into a bright arc and four distinct images. This phenomenon, predicted by Einstein, acts as a natural telescope, magnifying distant objects like quasars for detailed study. By analyzing X-ray emissions, astronomers discovered that the central black hole is spinning at over half the speed of light, indicating it grew through galaxy mergers. Captured by Webb’s MIRI instrument, the image helps scientists investigate dark matter, which forms the majority of the Universe’s mass.

L1527 (MIRI image)

Date: 7/2/2024

L1527, captured by the James Webb Space Telescope’s MIRI, is a molecular cloud that hosts a protostar in the constellation Taurus, 460 light-years from Earth. The blue, diffuse light in the image comes from organic compounds called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Filamentary structures also stem from these compounds. At the center, the red color represents a dense, energized layer of gas and dust surrounding the protostar. In the middle, a white region reveals a mix of PAHs, ionized gas, and other molecules. As the protostar ages, it will release energetic jets, gradually consuming and dispersing the molecular cloud. Over time, these features will fade as the star gathers more mass. Eventually, the star will emerge more clearly, visible to our telescopes.

Astronomers find surprising shapes in Jupiter’s upper atmosphere

Date: 7/2/2024

Using the James Webb Space Telescope, scientists have observed the area above Jupiter's Great Red Spot, uncovering intricate structures previously thought to be absent. This region, difficult to analyze with ground-based telescopes due to its weak atmospheric glow, revealed surprising details through Webb’s infrared capabilities. In July 2022, the Near-InfraRed Spectrograph (NIRSpec) detected dark arcs and bright spots, challenging the expectation of a homogeneous equatorial atmosphere. Team leader Henrik Melin remarked that the findings are as fascinating as Jupiter’s northern lights. The research suggests that gravity waves from the turbulent lower atmosphere may influence the upper atmosphere's structure. Further observations are planned to explore these wave patterns and their energy dynamics, supporting ESA’s Juice mission to study Jupiter and its ocean-bearing moons.

Webb captures star clusters in Cosmic Gems arc

Date: 6/24/2024

An international team of astronomers has discovered gravitationally bound star clusters in the Cosmic Gems arc (SPT0615-JD1) using the James Webb Space Telescope. This marks the first detection of star clusters in an infant galaxy just 460 million years after the Big Bang. Young galaxies like the Cosmic Gems arc underwent intense star formation, generating significant ionizing radiation, but their study has been challenging due to their distance. Webb's advanced sensitivity and angular resolution, enhanced by gravitational lensing from a foreground galaxy cluster, allowed scientists to resolve these clusters down to parsec scales.

Crab Nebula

Date: 6/17/2024

The Crab Nebula, a supernova remnant located 6,500 light-years away in Taurus, is the result of a star's violent death observed from Earth in 1054 CE. The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has provided new infrared data, helping scientists study its structure and chemical composition. The nebula may be an electron-capture supernova, suggested by its low explosion energy and a progenitor star mass of eight to ten solar masses. JWST's observations refined the nickel to iron (Ni/Fe) abundance ratio, indicating it is elevated but lower than previous estimates, leaving open the possibility of an iron-core-collapse supernova as well.

Webb finds plethora of carbon molecules around young star

Date: 6/6/2024

Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope have discovered the richest hydrocarbon chemistry in a protoplanetary disc surrounding a very low-mass star, ISO-ChaI 147. This study revealed 13 carbon-bearing molecules, including the first extrasolar detection of ethane (C2H6), a significant find that enhances our understanding of planetary system diversity. The observations indicate that the gas in this disc is rich in carbon, which may explain Earth's relative carbon scarcity. Webb's superior sensitivity allowed the team to detect weaker emissions of hydrocarbons like ethylene (C2H4) and propyne (C3H4), offering insights into the planet formation environment. This discovery contrasts with the oxygen-rich compositions found in discs around solar-type stars, suggesting a unique class of carbon-rich terrestrial planet-forming regions. The team plans to study more discs around very low-mass stars to deepen their understanding of these environments.