A supernova is a powerful stellar explosion that usually occurs at the end of a massive star’s life cycle. As a result of this explosion, the star is destroyed and transformed into a black hole or neutron star. Recently, the James Webb Space Telescope, studying the supernova Cassiopeia, located 11,000 light-years from Earth, revealed several new aspects of this mysterious explosion. Using infrared technology, the James Webb Telescope captured amazing images of gas and dust ejected from supernovae.
According to the American Astronomical Society, analysis of these images will provide deeper information about the behavior of the supernova gas cloud and the light scattering process. According to astronomers, the new images provide much-unknown information about the internal structure of the interstellar region. This will lead to a clearer understanding of the evolution process of stars and galaxies and the effect of magnetic fields on star formation. Astronomer Josh Peek of the Space Telescope Science Institute in Maryland said, this time, some information about the gas layer has been found, which has never been known before.
According to Jacob Jenson, a scientist at the California Institute of Technology, the supernova’s light echoes are reflected in the gas and dust particles. This light echo analysis provides new insights into the interstellar region and its complex structure. Images captured by James Webb reveal the supernova’s three-dimensional structure. Scientists hope that by analyzing this structure, it will be easier to unravel the deep mysteries of the death process of stars and such cosmic explosions.