00:00This is what is often referred to as the Horsehead Nebula.
00:07It's located in the constellation Orion, and it's likely one of the most famous cosmic structures of its kind.
00:13But now, the James Webb Space Telescope has turned its mid and near-infrared camera towards this storied spot in space,
00:19and we're getting to see it like never before.
00:21Astronomers have pointed the telescope at the very peak of the nebula's cloud, revealing never-before-seen details.
00:27The Horsehead Nebula looks like this in optical light, where the main cloud of gas appears more like a hole in the cloud of glowing gas that surrounds it.
00:35In mid and near-infrared, however, the details are much more pronounced, showing tendrils, texture, and cosmic filament reaching out into space.
00:42The nebula is also what is often referred to as a stellar nursery, or where stars are born.
00:47The top of the Horsehead is actually a dense collection of gas and dust which have collapsed under the weight of itself.
00:53It is here that infant stars are given life, providing astronomers a front-row seat to stellar formation.
00:58But this is just the beginning, as experts say these new images will also help them better understand other processes happening inside and around the Horsehead Nebula as well.
Comments