The Webb Telescope’s dazzling nebula image supports a long-held theory
Webb Telescope's image of Serpens Nebula supports theory clusters of forming stars spin in the same direction.
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has captured a mesmerizing image of the Serpens Nebula, showcasing aligned protostellar outflows. These outflows support the long-held theory that clusters of forming stars spin in the same direction, a phenomenon previously unobserved so directly.
The bright and clumpy streaks seen in the image are shockwaves caused by jets that are ejected when interstellar gas clouds collapse inward. This historic observation serves as a record of how stars are born, with aligned jets indicating consistent spin directions among these forming stars.
The Serpens Nebula is relatively young, at only one to two million years old and located about 1,300 light years from Earth. NASA plans to use the telescope's Near-Infrared Spectrograph (NIRSpec) next to study the chemical composition of the Nebula, building on the insights gained from this image.