Astronomers using the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope have taken a beautiful new image of the star cluster Pismis 24, which resides in the core of the nearby Lobster Nebula.
This Webb image shows Pismis 24, a young star cluster some 5,500 light-years in the constellation of Scorpius. Image credit: NASA / ESA / CSA / STScI / A. Pagan, STScI.
Pismis 24 is located approximately 5,500 light-years away in the constellation of Scorpius.
Part of the Lobster Nebula, this star cluster is home to some of the largest stars ever discovered.
“Home to a vibrant stellar nursery and one of the closest sites of massive star birth, Pismis 24 provides rare insight into large and massive stars,” the Webb astronomers said in a statement.
“This region is one of the best places to explore the properties of hot young stars and how they evolve.”
“At the heart of this glittering cluster is the brilliant Pismis 24-1.”
“It is at the center of a clump of stars above the jagged orange peaks, and the tallest spire is pointing directly toward it.”
“Pismis 24-1 appears as a gigantic single star, and it was once thought to be the most massive known stars.”
“It is in fact composed of at least two stars, though they cannot be resolved in the Webb image.”
“At 74 and 66 solar masses, respectively, the two known stars are still among the most massive and luminous stars ever seen.”
This new image from Webb’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) instrument reveals thousands of jewel-like stars of varying sizes and colors.
“The largest and most brilliant ones with the six-point diffraction spikes are the most massive stars in the cluster,” the astronomers said.
“Hundreds to thousands of smaller members of the cluster appear as white, yellow, and red, depending on their stellar type and the amount of dust enshrouding them.”
“Webb also shows us tens of thousands of stars behind the cluster that are part of the Milky Way Galaxy.”
Super-hot, infant stars — some almost 8 times the temperature of the Sun — blast out scorching radiation and punishing winds that are sculpting a cavity into the wall of the star-forming nebula.
That nebula extends far beyond NIRCam’s field of view.
Only small portions of it are visible at the bottom and top right of the image.
“Streamers of hot, ionized gas flow off the ridges of the nebula, and wispy veils of gas and dust, illuminated by starlight, float around its towering peaks,” the researchers said.
“Dramatic spires jut from the glowing wall of gas, resisting the relentless radiation and winds.”
“They are like fingers pointing toward the hot, young stars that have sculpted them.”
“The fierce forces shaping and compressing these spires cause new stars to form within them.”
“The tallest spire spans about 5.4 light-years from its tip to the bottom of the image.”
“More than 200 of our solar systems out to Neptune’s orbit could fit into the width its tip, which is 0.14 light-years.”
“In this image, the color cyan indicates hot or ionized hydrogen gas being heated up by the massive young stars.”
“Dust molecules similar to smoke here on Earth are represented in orange. Red signifies cooler, denser molecular hydrogen. The darker the red, the denser the gas. Black denotes the densest gas, which is not emitting light. The wispy white features are dust and gas that are scattering starlight.”
