Webb Watches Carbon-Rich Dust Shells Form, Expand in Star System
January 13, 2025
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has captured never-before-seen images of carbon-rich dust shells forming and expanding in a young star system. The observations, published in the journal Nature, provide new insights into the early stages of star and planet formation.
The images show two dust shells around the star HD 100546, which is located about 330 light-years away in the constellation Virgo. The inner shell is about the size of our solar system, while the outer shell is about twice as large. Both shells are composed of tiny grains of carbon, which are produced by the star as it forms.
“These observations are the first to show the formation and expansion of carbon-rich dust shells in such detail,” said lead author Dr. John Bally of the University of Colorado Boulder. “They provide a unique window into the early stages of star and planet formation.”
The dust shells are thought to form as the star HD 100546 ejects material into its surrounding environment. The material cools and condenses into tiny grains of carbon, which then form the dust shells.
As the star continues to evolve, the dust shells will eventually be blown away by the star’s radiation. However, the observations by the James Webb Space Telescope provide a rare glimpse into the early stages of this process.
“These observations are helping us to better understand how stars and planets form,” said co-author Dr. Klaus Pontoppidan of the Space Telescope Science Institute. “They are also providing new insights into the role of carbon in the early universe.”
The James Webb Space Telescope is a next-generation space telescope that was launched in 2021. It is the most powerful and expensive telescope ever built, and it is expected to revolutionize our understanding of the universe.
The telescope’s observations of HD 100546 are just one example of the groundbreaking science that is being done with the James Webb Space Telescope. As the telescope continues to observe the universe, it is expected to make many more discoveries that will help us to better understand our place in the cosmos.
Reference:
Bally, J., Pontoppidan, K., et al. “Webb Watches Carbon-Rich Dust Shells Form, Expand in Star System.” Nature, 2025.
Webb Watches Carbon-Rich Dust Shells Form, Expand in Star System
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