James Webb makes spectacular picture of nebula N79 that will help reveal mysteries of star formation

In the neighboring galaxy, the Large Magellanic Cloud, there are regions where star formation occurs at a colossal speed, reminiscent of what likely was widespread shortly after the birth of the Universe. Scientists now have the opportunity to observe the actual repetition of this ancient phenomenon practically in our galactic neighborhood—the Milky Way. However, without the space observatory "James Webb," this would be impossible. Only it can see through clouds of dust and gas.

Astronomers directed the mirror of the "Webb" towards the massive star-forming complex N79 in the Large Magellanic Cloud galaxy. Through observations using four filters in the mid-infrared range with wavelengths selected at 7.7 μm (highlighted in blue), 10 μm (cyan), 15 μm (yellow), and 21 μm (red), it was possible to obtain an image of significant depth. The "Webb" was able to discern thin structures behind a dense layer of dust and gas, which became transparent or semi-transparent in the infrared range.

In our galaxy, there are no such large-scale formations, and the chemical composition of interstellar matter differs. Therefore, star formation here is more limited and does not provide complete information for studying stellar evolution. Star-forming complexes like N79 in the image have a completely different chemical composition, almost identical to that of areas approximately one billion years after the Big Bang. The "Webb" can provide a glimpse into those times, but at such a distance, the level of detail will be limited. Unlike the N79 nebula, which is only about 160,000 light-years away.

The N79 nebula, rich in ionized atomic hydrogen, contains numerous protostars, protoplanetary disks, and stars at various stages of evolution. This allows scientists to study stellar evolution as if examining masses, states, and conditions under a microscope. Later, scientists will compare the data from N79 with data from the early Universe, helping to better understand the processes of its inception and shed light on events in the Universe.