"The large-scale homogeneity of the universe makes it very difficult to believe that the structure of the universe is determined by anything so peripheral as some complicated molecular structure on a minor planet orbiting a very average star in the outer suburbs of a fairly typical galaxy."

— Steven Hawking

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Nanoplastics Make Up Most of the Ocean’s Plastic Pollution

Scientific American.com - Thu, 07/10/2025 - 12:30pm

Nanoplastics—particles smaller than a human hair—can pass through cell walls and enter the food web. New research suggest 27 million metric tons of nanoplastics are spread across just the top layer of the North Atlantic

Categories: Astronomy

Want $600 off the Unistellar eQuinox 2? This anti-Prime Day deal ends July 13

Space.com - Thu, 07/10/2025 - 12:18pm
This is your last chance to get our best smart telescope with $600 off in this anti-Prime Day deal from BH Photo and Video.
Categories: Astronomy

Astronomers found a completely new type of plasma wave near Jupiter

New Scientist Space - Space Headlines - Thu, 07/10/2025 - 12:00pm
Observations from NASA’s Juno spacecraft reveal that Jupiter’s strong magnetic field and the unique properties of its plasma can produce a truly novel kind of extraterrestrial wave near its poles
Categories: Astronomy

Astronomers found a completely new type of plasma wave near Jupiter

New Scientist Space - Cosmology - Thu, 07/10/2025 - 12:00pm
Observations from NASA’s Juno spacecraft reveal that Jupiter’s strong magnetic field and the unique properties of its plasma can produce a truly novel kind of extraterrestrial wave near its poles
Categories: Astronomy

Extreme Heat Endangers AI Data Centers

Scientific American.com - Thu, 07/10/2025 - 12:00pm

A new analysis warns that AI facilities could be forced to stop operating because of water shortages and blackouts

Categories: Astronomy

Silver Surfer proclaims Earth's doom in chilling new 'The Fantastic Four: First Steps' clip (video)

Space.com - Thu, 07/10/2025 - 12:00pm
'Your world will be consumed by The Devourer. There is nothing you can do to stop him.'
Categories: Astronomy

ENDING TODAY: Break the streaming barrier with nearly $700 off NordVPN, four months free and an $50 Amazon voucher

Space.com - Thu, 07/10/2025 - 11:41am
Want to stream anything, anywhere, in complete safety? Our exclusive NordVPN offer saves you up to $691, including four months free and a $50 Amazon voucher! But it ends today, so hurry!
Categories: Astronomy

You can still get one of the best budget binoculars for under $35 this Prime Day

Space.com - Thu, 07/10/2025 - 11:32am
One of the best binoculars on the market and the best binoculars for kids, the Celestron Cometron 7x50, are now under $35 for Amazon Prime Day.
Categories: Astronomy

Peculiar plant could help us reconstruct ancient Earth’s climate

New Scientist Space - Cosmology - Thu, 07/10/2025 - 11:00am
Something strange happens to water as it moves through the stems of horsetail plants – and this unique process provides valuable clues for understanding past and present ecosystems
Categories: Astronomy

Peculiar plant could help us reconstruct ancient Earth’s climate

New Scientist Space - Space Headlines - Thu, 07/10/2025 - 11:00am
Something strange happens to water as it moves through the stems of horsetail plants – and this unique process provides valuable clues for understanding past and present ecosystems
Categories: Astronomy

Ancient Tooth Proteins Rewrite the Rhino Family Tree—Are Dinosaurs Next?

Scientific American.com - Thu, 07/10/2025 - 11:00am

Molecules from the 20-million-year-old teeth of a rhino relative are among the oldest ever sequenced, opening tantalizing possibilities to scientists

Categories: Astronomy

Hubble and James Webb Space Telescopes show 2 sides of star cluster duo | Space photo of the day for July 10, 2025

Space.com - Thu, 07/10/2025 - 11:00am
In a combined image from the two space telescopes, two star clusters shine in the darkness of space.
Categories: Astronomy

Only $51! Last chance to grab this beginner telescope for great views of the full moon

Space.com - Thu, 07/10/2025 - 10:20am
Perfect for families and kids — the Celestron Powerseeker 50AZ is now only $51, allowing you to enjoy views of the night sky without breaking the bank.
Categories: Astronomy

NASA’s Roman Space Telescope Team Installs Observatory’s Solar Panels

NASA News - Thu, 07/10/2025 - 10:00am

On June 14 and 16, technicians installed solar panels onto NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, one of the final steps in assembling the observatory. Collectively called the Solar Array Sun Shield, these panels will power and shade the observatory, enabling all the mission’s observations and helping keep the instruments cool.

In this photo, technicians install solar panels onto the outer portion of NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. Roman’s inner portion is in the background just left of center. By the end of the year, technicians plan to connect the two halves and complete the Roman observatory. Credit: NASA/Sydney Rohde

“At this point, the observatory is about 90% complete,” said Jack Marshall, the Solar Array Sun Shield lead at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “We just need to join two large assemblies, and then we’ll run the whole Roman observatory through a series of tests. We’re currently on track for launch several months earlier than the promised date of no later than May 2027.” The team is working toward launch as early as fall 2026.

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

Over the course of two days, eight technicians installed Roman's solar panels onto the outer portion of NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. Each of the six panels is about 23 by 33 feet (7 by 10 meters), fitted with photovoltaic cells which will harness energy from sunlight to power the observatory. The solar panels were designed, built, and installed at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.Credit: NASA/Sophia Roberts

The Solar Array Sun Shield is made up of six panels, each covered in solar cells. The two central panels will remain fixed to the outer barrel assembly (the observatory’s outer shell) while the other four will deploy once Roman is in space, swinging up to align with the center panels.

The panels will spend the entirety of the mission facing the Sun to provide a steady supply of power to the observatory’s electronics. This orientation will also shade much of the observatory and help keep the instruments cool, which is critical for an infrared observatory. Since infrared light is detectable as heat, excess warmth from the spacecraft’s own components would saturate the detectors and effectively blind the telescope.

The solar panels on NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope are covered in a total of 3,902 solar cells that will convert sunlight directly into electricity much like plants convert sunlight to chemical energy. When tiny bits of light, called photons, strike the cells, some of their energy transfers to electrons within the material. This jolt excites the electrons, which start moving more or jump to higher energy levels. In a solar cell, excited electrons create electricity by breaking free and moving through a circuit, sort of like water flowing through a pipe. The panels are designed to channel that energy to power the observatory.Credit: NASA/Sydney Rohde

“Now that the panels have been installed, the outer portion of the Roman observatory is complete,” said Goddard’s Aaron Vigil, a mechanical engineer working on the array. Next, technicians will test deploy the solar panels and the observatory’s “visor” (the deployable aperture cover). The team is also testing the core portion of the observatory, assessing the electronics and conducting a thermal vacuum test to ensure the system operates as planned in the harsh space environment.

This will keep the project on track to connect Roman’s inner and outer segments in November, resulting in a whole observatory by the end of the year that can then undergo pre-launch tests.

Now that the solar panels are installed on the outer portion of NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, technicians are readying the assembly for vibration testing to ensure it will withstand the extreme shaking experienced during launch.Credit: NASA/Sydney Rohde

To virtually tour an interactive version of the telescope, visit: https://roman.gsfc.nasa.gov/interactive/

Download high-resolution video and images from NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is managed at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, with participation by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California; Caltech/IPAC in Pasadena, California; the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore; and a science team comprising scientists from various research institutions. The primary industrial partners are BAE Systems Inc. in Boulder, Colorado; L3Harris Technologies in Rochester, New York; and Teledyne Scientific & Imaging in Thousand Oaks, California.

By Ashley Balzer
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.

Share Details Last Updated Jul 10, 2025 EditorAshley BalzerContactAshley Balzerashley.m.balzer@nasa.govLocationGoddard Space Flight Center Related Terms Explore More 6 min read NASA’s Roman Mission Shares Detailed Plans to Scour Skies Article 3 months ago 4 min read Core Components for NASA’s Roman Space Telescope Pass Major Shake Test Article 1 month ago 6 min read Team Preps to Study Dark Energy via Exploding Stars With NASA’s Roman Article 4 months ago
Categories: NASA

NASA’s Webb Scratches Beyond Surface of Cat’s Paw for 3rd Anniversary

NASA News - Thu, 07/10/2025 - 10:00am
Explore Webb

8 Min Read NASA’s Webb Scratches Beyond Surface of Cat’s Paw for 3rd Anniversary

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s near-infrared view of the Cat’s Paw Nebula reveals mini “toe beans.” Massive young stars are carving the gas and dust while their bright starlight is producing a bright nebulous glow. Eventually this turbulent region will quench star formation. Full image below.

Credits:
NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI.

It’s the cat’s meow! To celebrate its third year of revealing stunning scenes of the cosmos in infrared light, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has “clawed” back the thick, dusty layers of a section within the Cat’s Paw Nebula (NGC 6334). Focusing Webb’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) on a single “toe bean” within this active star-forming region revealed a subset of mini toe beans, which appear to contain young stars shaping the surrounding gas and dust.

Webb’s look at this particular area of the Cat’s Paw Nebula just scratches the surface of the telescope’s three years of groundbreaking science.

“Three years into its mission, Webb continues to deliver on its design – revealing previously hidden aspects of the universe, from the star formation process to some of the earliest galaxies,” said Shawn Domagal-Goldman, acting director of the Astrophysics Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “As it repeatedly breaks its own records, Webb is also uncovering unknowns for new generations of flagship missions to tackle. Whether it’s following up on the mysteries of dark matter with NASA’s nearly complete Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, or narrowing our search for life to Earth-like planets with the Habitable Worlds Observatory, the questions Webb has raised are just as exciting as the answers it’s giving us.”

Image: Cat’s Paw Nebula (NIRCam Image) NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s near-infrared view of the Cat’s Paw Nebula reveals mini “toe beans.” Massive young stars are carving the gas and dust while their bright starlight is producing a bright nebulous glow. Eventually this turbulent region will quench star formation. NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI. Star Formation Flex

The progression from a large molecular cloud to massive stars entails multiple steps, some of which are still not well understood by astronomers. Located approximately 4,000 light-years away in the constellation Scorpius, the Cat’s Paw Nebula offers scientists the opportunity to study the turbulent cloud-to-star process in great detail. Webb’s observation of the nebula in near-infrared light builds upon previous studies by NASA’s Hubble and retired Spitzer Space Telescope in visible- and infrared-light, respectively.

With its sharp resolution, Webb shows never-before-seen structural details and features: Massive young stars are carving away at nearby gas and dust, while their bright starlight is producing a bright nebulous glow represented in blue. It’s a temporary scene where the disruptive young stars, with their relatively short lives and luminosity, have a brief but important role in the region’s larger story. As a consequence of these massive stars’ lively behavior, the local star formation process will eventually come to a stop.

Opera House’s Intricate Structure

Start with the toe bean at top center, which is nicknamed the “Opera House” for its circular, tiered-like structure. The primary drivers for the area’s cloudy blue glow are most likely toward its bottom: either the light from the bright yellowish stars or from a nearby source still hidden behind the dense, dark brown dust.

Just below the orange-brown tiers of dust is a bright yellow star with diffraction spikes. While this massive star has carved away at its immediate surroundings, it has been unable to push the gas and dust away to greater distances, creating a compact shell of surrounding material.

Look closely to notice small patches, like the tuning fork-shaped area to the Opera House’s immediate left, that contain fewer stars. These seemingly vacant zones indicate the presence of dense foreground filaments of dust that are home to still-forming stars and block the light of stars in the background.

Spotlight on Stars

Toward the image’s center are small, fiery red clumps scattered amongst the brown dust. These glowing red sources mark regions where massive star formation is underway, albeit in an obscured manner.

Some massive blue-white stars, like the one in the lower left toe bean, seem to be more sharply resolved than others. This is because any intervening material between the star and the telescope has been dissipated by stellar radiation.

Near the bottom of that toe bean are small, dense filaments of dust. These tiny clumps of dust have managed to remain despite the intense radiation, suggesting that they are dense enough to form protostars. A small section of yellow at the right notes the location of a still-enshrouded massive star that has managed to shine through intervening material.

Across this entire scene are many small yellow stars with diffraction spikes. Bright blue-white stars are in the foreground of this Webb image, but some may be a part of the more expansive Cat’s Paw Nebula area.

One eye-catching aspect of this Webb image is the bright, red-orange oval at top right. Its low count of background stars implies it is a dense area just beginning its star-formation process. A couple of visible and still-veiled stars are scattered throughout this region, which are contributing to the illumination of the material in the middle. Some still-enveloped stars leave hints of their presence, like a bow shock at the bottom left, which indicates an energetic ejection of gas and dust from a bright source.

Further explore this subset of toe beans by embarking on a narrated tour or getting closer to the image. We also invite you to reminisce about Webb’s three years of science observations.

Video A (Narrated Visualization): Cosmic Caverns in the Cat’s Paw Nebula This visualization explores a subset of toe bean-reminiscent structures within a section of the Cat’s Paw Nebula, a massive, local star-forming region located approximately 4,000 light-years away in the constellation Scorpius.

This image by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope in near-infrared light was released in honor of the telescope’s third science operations anniversary. Since it began science operations in July 2022, Webb’s observations of our universe have wowed scientists and the public alike.

Glide into the lower left toe bean, moving past many small yellow stars along the way, where filaments of gas and dust frame the cavernous area. The region’s nebulous glow, represented in blue, is from the bright light of massive young stars.

Float toward the top toe bean, which is nicknamed the “Opera House” for its circular, tiered-like structure. As you move, you’ll pass plumes of orange-brown dust that vary in density and small, fiery red clumps where star formation is occurring, albeit in an obscured manner.

Credits: Producers: Greg Bacon (STScI), Frank Summers (STScI); Image Processing: Joe DePasquale (STScI); Music: Joe DePasquale (STScI); Designers: Ralf Crawford (STScI), Leah Hustak (STScI), Christian Nieves (STScI), Alyssa Pagan (STScI); Images: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI; ESO/VISTA. Video B: Zoom into the Cat’s Paw Nebula This zoom-in video shows the location of the Cat’s Paw Nebula on the sky. It begins with a ground-based photo by the late astrophotographer Akira Fujii, then shows views from the Digitized Sky Survey. The video then hones in on a select portion of the sky to reveal a European Southern Observatory image of the Cat’s Paw Nebula in visible light. The video continues to zoom in on a section of the Cat’s Paw, which gradually transitions to the stunning image captured by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope in near-infrared light.
 
Credits: Video: NASA, ESA, CSA, Danielle Kirshenblat (STScI); Acknowledgement: Akira Fujii, DSS, VISTA.

The James Webb Space Telescope is the world’s premier space science observatory. Webb is solving mysteries in our solar system, looking beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probing the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and CSA (Canadian Space Agency).

To learn more about Webb, visit:

https://science.nasa.gov/webb

Downloads

Click any image to open a larger version.

View/Download all image products at all resolutions for this article from the Space Telescope Science Institute.

Media Contacts

Laura Betz – laura.e.betz@nasa.gov
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.

Abigail Majoramajor@stsci.edu
Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md.

Hannah Braunhbraun@stsci.edu
Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md.

Related Information

View other images of the Cat’s Paw Nebula

Animation Video: “How Dense Pillars Form in Molecular Clouds”

Explore a larger view of the Cat’s Paw Nebula: ViewSpace Video

Read more: Webb Star Formation Discoveries

More Webb News

More Webb Images

Webb Science Themes

Webb Mission Page

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Can AI Replace Air Traffic Controllers to Reduce Airline Accidents?

Scientific American.com - Thu, 07/10/2025 - 10:00am

Tests in London and Singapore could reveal whether AI can improve the safety of air travel

Categories: Astronomy

Webb scratches under Cat’s Paw Nebula for third anniversary

ESO Top News - Thu, 07/10/2025 - 10:00am

To mark its third year of highly productive science, astronomers used the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope to scratch beyond the surface of the Cat’s Paw Nebula (NGC 6334), a massive, local star-forming region.

Categories: Astronomy

NASA’s Roman Space Telescope Team Installs Observatory’s Solar Panels

NASA - Breaking News - Thu, 07/10/2025 - 10:00am

On June 14 and 16, technicians installed solar panels onto NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, one of the final steps in assembling the observatory. Collectively called the Solar Array Sun Shield, these panels will power and shade the observatory, enabling all the mission’s observations and helping keep the instruments cool.

In this photo, technicians install solar panels onto the outer portion of NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. Roman’s inner portion is in the background just left of center. By the end of the year, technicians plan to connect the two halves and complete the Roman observatory. Credit: NASA/Sydney Rohde

“At this point, the observatory is about 90% complete,” said Jack Marshall, the Solar Array Sun Shield lead at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. “We just need to join two large assemblies, and then we’ll run the whole Roman observatory through a series of tests. We’re currently on track for launch several months earlier than the promised date of no later than May 2027.” The team is working toward launch as early as fall 2026.

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

Over the course of two days, eight technicians installed solar panels onto the outer portion of NASA's Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. Each of the six panels is about 23 by 33 feet (7 by 10 meters), fitted with photovoltaic cells which will harness energy from sunlight to power the observatory. The solar panels were designed, built, and installed at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md.Credit: NASA/Sophia Roberts

The Solar Array Sun Shield is made up of six panels, each covered in solar cells. The two central panels will remain fixed to the outer barrel assembly (the observatory’s outer shell) while the other four will deploy once Roman is in space, swinging up to align with the center panels.

The panels will spend the entirety of the mission facing the Sun to provide a steady supply of power to the observatory’s electronics. This orientation will also shade much of the observatory and help keep the instruments cool, which is critical for an infrared observatory. Since infrared light is detectable as heat, excess warmth from the spacecraft’s own components would saturate the detectors and effectively blind the telescope.

The solar panels on NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope are covered in a total of 3,902 solar cells that will convert sunlight directly into electricity much like plants convert sunlight to chemical energy. When tiny bits of light, called photons, strike the cells, some of their energy transfers to electrons within the material. This jolt excites the electrons, which start moving more or jump to higher energy levels. In a solar cell, excited electrons create electricity by breaking free and moving through a circuit, sort of like water flowing through a pipe. The panels are designed to channel that energy to power the observatory.Credit: NASA/Sydney Rohde

“Now that the panels have been installed, the outer portion of the Roman observatory is complete,” said Goddard’s Aaron Vigil, a mechanical engineer working on the array. Next, technicians will test deploy the solar panels and the observatory’s “visor” (the deployable aperture cover). The team is also testing the core portion of the observatory, assessing the electronics and conducting a thermal vacuum test to ensure the system operates as planned in the harsh space environment.

This will keep the project on track to connect Roman’s inner and outer segments in November, resulting in a whole observatory by the end of the year that can then undergo pre-launch tests.

Now that the solar panels are installed on the outer portion of NASA’s Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, technicians are readying the assembly for vibration testing to ensure it will withstand the extreme shaking experienced during launch.Credit: NASA/Sydney Rohde

To virtually tour an interactive version of the telescope, visit: https://roman.gsfc.nasa.gov/interactive/

Download high-resolution video and images from NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio

The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope is managed at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, with participation by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California; Caltech/IPAC in Pasadena, California; the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore; and a science team comprising scientists from various research institutions. The primary industrial partners are BAE Systems Inc. in Boulder, Colorado; L3Harris Technologies in Rochester, New York; and Teledyne Scientific & Imaging in Thousand Oaks, California.

By Ashley Balzer
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.

Share Details Last Updated Jul 10, 2025 EditorAshley BalzerContactAshley Balzerashley.m.balzer@nasa.govLocationGoddard Space Flight Center Related Terms Explore More 6 min read NASA’s Roman Mission Shares Detailed Plans to Scour Skies Article 3 months ago 4 min read Core Components for NASA’s Roman Space Telescope Pass Major Shake Test Article 1 month ago 6 min read Team Preps to Study Dark Energy via Exploding Stars With NASA’s Roman Article 4 months ago
Categories: NASA

NASA’s Webb Scratches Beyond Surface of Cat’s Paw for 3rd Anniversary

NASA - Breaking News - Thu, 07/10/2025 - 10:00am
Explore Webb

8 Min Read NASA’s Webb Scratches Beyond Surface of Cat’s Paw for 3rd Anniversary

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s near-infrared view of the Cat’s Paw Nebula reveals mini “toe beans.” Massive young stars are carving the gas and dust while their bright starlight is producing a bright nebulous glow. Eventually this turbulent region will quench star formation. Full image below.

Credits:
NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI.

It’s the cat’s meow! To celebrate its third year of revealing stunning scenes of the cosmos in infrared light, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has “clawed” back the thick, dusty layers of a section within the Cat’s Paw Nebula (NGC 6334). Focusing Webb’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) on a single “toe bean” within this active star-forming region revealed a subset of mini toe beans, which appear to contain young stars shaping the surrounding gas and dust.

Webb’s look at this particular area of the Cat’s Paw Nebula just scratches the surface of the telescope’s three years of groundbreaking science.

“Three years into its mission, Webb continues to deliver on its design – revealing previously hidden aspects of the universe, from the star formation process to some of the earliest galaxies,” said Shawn Domagal-Goldman, acting director of the Astrophysics Division at NASA Headquarters in Washington. “As it repeatedly breaks its own records, Webb is also uncovering unknowns for new generations of flagship missions to tackle. Whether it’s following up on the mysteries of dark matter with NASA’s nearly complete Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, or narrowing our search for life to Earth-like planets with the Habitable Worlds Observatory, the questions Webb has raised are just as exciting as the answers it’s giving us.”

Image: Cat’s Paw Nebula (NIRCam Image) NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s near-infrared view of the Cat’s Paw Nebula reveals mini “toe beans.” Massive young stars are carving the gas and dust while their bright starlight is producing a bright nebulous glow. Eventually this turbulent region will quench star formation. NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI. Star Formation Flex

The progression from a large molecular cloud to massive stars entails multiple steps, some of which are still not well understood by astronomers. Located approximately 4,000 light-years away in the constellation Scorpius, the Cat’s Paw Nebula offers scientists the opportunity to study the turbulent cloud-to-star process in great detail. Webb’s observation of the nebula in near-infrared light builds upon previous studies by NASA’s Hubble and retired Spitzer Space Telescope in visible- and infrared-light, respectively.

With its sharp resolution, Webb shows never-before-seen structural details and features: Massive young stars are carving away at nearby gas and dust, while their bright starlight is producing a bright nebulous glow represented in blue. It’s a temporary scene where the disruptive young stars, with their relatively short lives and luminosity, have a brief but important role in the region’s larger story. As a consequence of these massive stars’ lively behavior, the local star formation process will eventually come to a stop.

Opera House’s Intricate Structure

Start with the toe bean at top center, which is nicknamed the “Opera House” for its circular, tiered-like structure. The primary drivers for the area’s cloudy blue glow are most likely toward its bottom: either the light from the bright yellowish stars or from a nearby source still hidden behind the dense, dark brown dust.

Just below the orange-brown tiers of dust is a bright yellow star with diffraction spikes. While this massive star has carved away at its immediate surroundings, it has been unable to push the gas and dust away to greater distances, creating a compact shell of surrounding material.

Look closely to notice small patches, like the tuning fork-shaped area to the Opera House’s immediate left, that contain fewer stars. These seemingly vacant zones indicate the presence of dense foreground filaments of dust that are home to still-forming stars and block the light of stars in the background.

Spotlight on Stars

Toward the image’s center are small, fiery red clumps scattered amongst the brown dust. These glowing red sources mark regions where massive star formation is underway, albeit in an obscured manner.

Some massive blue-white stars, like the one in the lower left toe bean, seem to be more sharply resolved than others. This is because any intervening material between the star and the telescope has been dissipated by stellar radiation.

Near the bottom of that toe bean are small, dense filaments of dust. These tiny clumps of dust have managed to remain despite the intense radiation, suggesting that they are dense enough to form protostars. A small section of yellow at the right notes the location of a still-enshrouded massive star that has managed to shine through intervening material.

Across this entire scene are many small yellow stars with diffraction spikes. Bright blue-white stars are in the foreground of this Webb image, but some may be a part of the more expansive Cat’s Paw Nebula area.

One eye-catching aspect of this Webb image is the bright, red-orange oval at top right. Its low count of background stars implies it is a dense area just beginning its star-formation process. A couple of visible and still-veiled stars are scattered throughout this region, which are contributing to the illumination of the material in the middle. Some still-enveloped stars leave hints of their presence, like a bow shock at the bottom left, which indicates an energetic ejection of gas and dust from a bright source.

Further explore this subset of toe beans by embarking on a narrated tour or getting closer to the image. We also invite you to reminisce about Webb’s three years of science observations.

Video A (Narrated Visualization): Cosmic Caverns in the Cat’s Paw Nebula This visualization explores a subset of toe bean-reminiscent structures within a section of the Cat’s Paw Nebula, a massive, local star-forming region located approximately 4,000 light-years away in the constellation Scorpius.

This image by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope in near-infrared light was released in honor of the telescope’s third science operations anniversary. Since it began science operations in July 2022, Webb’s observations of our universe have wowed scientists and the public alike.

Glide into the lower left toe bean, moving past many small yellow stars along the way, where filaments of gas and dust frame the cavernous area. The region’s nebulous glow, represented in blue, is from the bright light of massive young stars.

Float toward the top toe bean, which is nicknamed the “Opera House” for its circular, tiered-like structure. As you move, you’ll pass plumes of orange-brown dust that vary in density and small, fiery red clumps where star formation is occurring, albeit in an obscured manner.

Credits: Producers: Greg Bacon (STScI), Frank Summers (STScI); Image Processing: Joe DePasquale (STScI); Music: Joe DePasquale (STScI); Designers: Ralf Crawford (STScI), Leah Hustak (STScI), Christian Nieves (STScI), Alyssa Pagan (STScI); Images: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI; ESO/VISTA. Video B: Zoom into the Cat’s Paw Nebula This zoom-in video shows the location of the Cat’s Paw Nebula on the sky. It begins with a ground-based photo by the late astrophotographer Akira Fujii, then shows views from the Digitized Sky Survey. The video then hones in on a select portion of the sky to reveal a European Southern Observatory image of the Cat’s Paw Nebula in visible light. The video continues to zoom in on a section of the Cat’s Paw, which gradually transitions to the stunning image captured by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope in near-infrared light.
 
Credits: Video: NASA, ESA, CSA, Danielle Kirshenblat (STScI); Acknowledgement: Akira Fujii, DSS, VISTA.

The James Webb Space Telescope is the world’s premier space science observatory. Webb is solving mysteries in our solar system, looking beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probing the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and CSA (Canadian Space Agency).

To learn more about Webb, visit:

https://science.nasa.gov/webb

Downloads

Click any image to open a larger version.

View/Download all image products at all resolutions for this article from the Space Telescope Science Institute.

Media Contacts

Laura Betz – laura.e.betz@nasa.gov
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.

Abigail Majoramajor@stsci.edu
Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md.

Hannah Braunhbraun@stsci.edu
Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md.

Related Information

View other images of the Cat’s Paw Nebula

Animation Video: “How Dense Pillars Form in Molecular Clouds”

Explore a larger view of the Cat’s Paw Nebula: ViewSpace Video

Read more: Webb Star Formation Discoveries

More Webb News

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James Webb Space Telescope

Webb is the premier observatory of the next decade, serving thousands of astronomers worldwide. It studies every phase in the…


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Last Updated

Jul 09, 2025

Editor Marty McCoy Contact Laura Betz laura.e.betz@nasa.gov

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