Millions of light years away, the Universe is revealed before our eyes thanks to astronomical glasses in Earth's orbit. Among them, if Hubble occupies a place of choice, James Webb is gradually replacing it by offering incredible images. Amid the major discoveries and strangenesses spotted in the cosmos, what are the most beautiful photographs captured by the space telescope launched in 2021 and operational since 2022?
The Space Lighthouse or when James Webb reveals the image of a neutron star in the Crab Nebula
With the help of Chandra X-Ray Observatorythe space telescope James Webb captured one of the most remarkable anomalies in the Universe: a neutron star. The remnant of a supernova, this cosmic strangeness has an impressive density.
This is located in the relatively close neighborhood of the Earth since “only” 6500 light years separate us from it. Moreover, this “proximity” made it possible to observe the supernova of this star when it exploded, it was in the Middle Ages in the year 1054.
Westerlund 1, the most massive stellar supercluster in the Milky Way
“If the Solar System were located at the center of this remarkable cluster, our sky would be full of hundreds of stars as bright as the full Moon”. This is how the ESA describes the experience that we could, hypothetically, have if we moved to the center of a super stellar cluster.
Unveiled in October 2024, Westerlund 1 is a place that concentrates matter whose mass is, at least, 10,000 times greater than that of the Sun. It is particularly in this type of environment that we can see stars and planets being born.
When James Webb captures the wrath of the Universe
Imagine for two minutes if the Universe got angry with us. There's a good chance that the look he's giving us may be blood-soaked, as is the case in James Webb's photo of IC 2163 and NGC 2207 merging.
This frightening look is located 114 million light years away, in the constellation Canis Major.
A stellar nursery or Nebula Serpens
Just 1,300 light years from Earth, James Webb captured the image of the Nebula Serpensa very special maternity ward since it is the birthplace of many stars which are now 100,000 years old. In other words, baby stars.
But much more than baby stars, Nebula Serpens also has the particularity of hosting a cosmic Bat Signal in case Gotham's vigilante is needed on the other side of the galaxy.
Arp 107, the merger of a galaxy captured by James Webb
And we finish our selection with a galactic smiley. After the scary look, this image of Arp 107 makes you smile a little more. And what we are seeing in this image is a galactic collision.
Although it might sound like a cataclysmic event, a galactic collision isn't really that catastrophic. Indeed, there are not, as one might believe, stars colliding or planets colliding. In fact, it is a relatively “peaceful” event on the scale of the Universe.
With an unwavering passion for local news, Christopher leads our editorial team with integrity and dedication. With over 20 years’ experience, he is the backbone of Wouldsayso, ensuring that we stay true to our mission to inform.
