An extraordinary photo of a star birth has been released by NASA, to mark the one-year anniversary of the James Webb Telescope (JWST).
The telescope is known for its powerful visualization of close-ups in space, and the photo represents a breathtaking insight into the birth of a star located 360 light-years from Earth.
“In just one year, the James Webb Space Telescope has transformed humanity’s view of the cosmos, peering into dust clouds and seeing light from faraway corners of the universe for the very first time," said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson on the agency's website.
The image shows bright jets bursting from the stellar nursery, impacting interstellar surrounding gas which then bursts, causing the molecular hydrogen to glow bright red.
"Our own Sun experienced a phase like this long ago, and now we have the technology to see the beginning of another's star's story," said NASA's Klaus Pontoppidan, who served as Webb project scientist ahead of the telescope's launch and through the first year of operations.
NASA compared similarities to the captured star birth to that of a newborn baby.
"Like a newborn first stretching her arms out into the world," NASA said in a statement.
The image captured by the telescope displays never seen before texture and detail.
“Webb has given us a more intricate understanding of galaxies, stars, and the atmospheres of planets outside of our solar system than ever before," said NASA's Science Mission Administrator Nicola Fox.
Fox described the telescope as an "engineering marvel."
“On its first anniversary, the James Webb Space Telescope has already delivered upon its promise to unfold the universe, gifting humanity with a breathtaking treasure trove of images and science that will last for decades,” Fox said.
According to NASA some stars seen in the image display tell-tale indications of potential future planetary systems in the making.
"Webb's science mission is just getting started, there's so much more to come," NASA Project Scientist Jane Rigby said.
