The previous observations taken by MIRI were in the mid-infrared wavelength, which looks more colorful and shows features like the warm dust surrounding the remnant, making up its outer shell, lit up in oranges and red. Webb has observed Cas A before, using its MIRI instrument. “It’s really unbelievable after all these years studying Cas A to now resolve those details, which are providing us with transformational insight into how this star exploded.” “With NIRCam’s resolution, we can now see how the dying star absolutely shattered when it exploded, leaving filaments akin to tiny shards of glass behind,” said lead researcher Danny Milisavljevic of Purdue University in a statement. NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Danny Milisavljevic (Purdue University), Ilse De Looze (UGent), Tea Temim (Princeton University) A new high-definition image from the James Webb Space Telescope’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) reveals intricate details of supernova remnant Cassiopeia A (Cas A), and shows the expanding shell of material slamming into the gas shed by the star before it exploded. This view shows the shell of material thrown out by the explosion interacting with the gas that the massive star gave off in its last phases of life. Located 11,000 light-years away in the constellation of Cassiopeia, it is thought to be a star that exploded 340 years ago (as seen from Earth) and it is now one of the brightest radio objects in the sky. One such supernova remnant, Cassiopeia A, or Cas A, was recently imaged using the James Webb Space Telescope’s NIRCam instrument. As the shockwaves from these explosions travel out into space and interact with nearby dust and gas, they can sculpt beautiful objects called supernova remnants. Although the bright flash of light from these events quickly fades, other effects are longer-lasting. When massive stars run out of fuel and come to the ends of their lives, their final phase can be a massive explosion called a supernova.
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