The James Webb Space Telescope is the most powerful telescope astronomers have at their disposal, but that's not just because it's got a big mirror (which it does). Webb's instruments can see far into the infrared, allowing the observatory to see through clouds of dust and gas to observe the previously unobservable. Webb recently turned its attention to NGC 346, a star-forming region in a nearby galaxy. The result is the stunning image above and more data on the intricacies of star formation.
NGC 346 is the largest stellar nursery in the Small Magellanic Cloud, a satellite galaxy that orbits our Milky Way galaxy. You can see this galaxy with the naked eye, but only if you're in the southern hemisphere, where it is visible in the constellation Tucana. The Small Magellanic Cloud is more primitive than the Milky Way, lacking in heavy elements that are forged in the burning core of stars. Some of those elements are incorporated into planets, but it also increases the concentration of dust.
Scientists believe the Small Magellanic Cloud could provide a modern analog to a period in history known as "cosmic noon." During this era, billions of years ago, star formation in the universe peaked, but the universe was also low in heavy elements. The new image comes from Webb's Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) instrument. Most iconic Webb photos come from the NIRCAM instrument, but MIRI sees deeper into the infrared, which is ideal for this situation.
The blue streaks across the image are silicates and large ring-shaped molecules called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). The red glow permeating the image represents dust heated by the largest and warmest stars in NGC 346. The brightest parts of the image are dense patches of protostars, most still wrapped in layers of primordial dust.
According to NASA, astronomers found more dust than expected in NGC 346. By combining data from MIRI and NIRCAM, they hope to better understand conditions in the Small Magellanic Cloud, and that could confirm or refute current thinking on Cosmic Noon. Given the higher-than-expected concentration of dust, there may still be some things to work out.
The James Webb Space Telescope launched in late 2021 after 20 years of design and construction. Since then, it has performed more than perfectly. The launch and initial maneuvering went so well that NASA predicts Webb will have enough fuel to operate for 20 years instead of ten. That means we have many years of stunning observations ahead of us.
