NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has revealed several new astronomical discoveries and captured striking images of cosmic phenomena. Among the findings is a previously unseen high-speed jet stream over Jupiter's equator, spanning more than 3,000 miles (4,800 kilometers) wide above the planet's main cloud decks. JWST also detected the oldest and most distant black hole ever observed, dating back 13.3 billion years, just 500 million years after the Big Bang. Additionally, astronomers identified one of the largest black holes known, with a mass equivalent to 36 billion suns, located in the Cosmic Horseshoe galaxy system about 5 billion light-years away. JWST produced detailed images of various celestial objects, including the Large Magellanic Cloud's H II region N79, the Red Spider Nebula (NGC 6537), the Sombrero Galaxy, and the stellar nursery Messier 16 in the constellation Serpens, famous for the Pillars of Creation. Complementary data from the Hubble Space Telescope and the Chandra X-ray Observatory enhanced views of spiral galaxy NGC 1068 and globular star cluster NGC 6397. The NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory contributed a composite image showing a fraction of the Virgo galaxy cluster, containing approximately 10 million galaxies. Astronomers also advanced techniques to detect supernova explosions in their earliest stages, improving understanding of stellar death processes. Furthermore, a distant galaxy nicknamed "Cosmic Grapes" was observed bursting with massive star-forming clumps, offering insights into early galaxy growth. An interstellar object rapidly approaching Earth was reported to emit its own light, according to a Harvard scientist. These observations collectively deepen knowledge of the universe's structure, evolution, and the dynamics of celestial bodies.
Majestic: Messier 16, located in the constellation Serpens, is a vibrant stellar nursery best known for the iconic Pillars of Creation—towering clouds of gas and dust surrounded by stars at various stages of evolution and distances. Credit: ESO/M.McCaughrean & M.Andersen (AIP) https://t.co/9CB5cco9PX
Hubble examined NGC 45, seen here in this new HubbleFriday view. This unique galaxy is a type called a low surface brightness galaxy. Low surface brightness galaxies are fainter than the night sky itself, making them incredibly difficult to detect. Thankfully, Hubble’s sensitive https://t.co/lFBya8kWlc
A strange flash of light from near the beginning of the universe could help astronomers map difficult-to-see gas in between galaxies, like a flashbulb in a dark room. https://t.co/4N2hbTXNoP