What To Know
- What was thought to be a single star, known as WL 20S, has in fact turned out to be a pair of twin stars formed about two to four million years ago.
- Thanks to its ability to observe in the mid-infrared, MIRI has revealed not only the dual nature of stars, but also the existence of jets of gas escaping from their north and south poles.
- NASA As Webb continues to scan the skies with unprecedented clarity, new revelations about the origins and fates of stars and planets are expected, providing an illuminating perspective on our place in the universe.
Revealing the invisible and unveiling cosmic mysteries: that is the power of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. It has once again dazzled the scientific community with a revolutionary discovery concerning the WL 20 star system.
WL 20 is actually aa double star
Nestled in the heart of the vast Rho Ophiuchi stellar cloud, some 400 light-years from Earth, lies WL 20. Since the 1970s, this star system has intrigued astronomers, although its visibility is hampered by thick clouds of gas and dust. These clouds obscure most of the visible light, making direct observation difficult for traditional telescopes. However, it has recently been revealed that this thick smokescreen has been fooling researchers all this time. Thanks to the telescope’s unprecedented resolution James Webbthe deepest secrets of WL 20 have finally been revealed revealed. What was thought to be a single star, known as WL 20S, has in fact turned out to be a pair of twin stars formed about two to four million years ago.
This artist’s concept shows two young stars nearing the end of their formation. Credits: NASA
Breaking through the smoke screens
The MIRI instrument played a crucial role in this discovery. It is one of four advanced scientific instruments aboard the telescope. Designed to detect infrared radiation emitted by celestial objects, it is particularly effective at probing environments where visible light is blocked, allowing astronomers to observe objects invisible to traditional optical telescopes. MIRI operates in a spectral range ranging from five to twenty-eight micronswhich corresponds to wavelengths longer than those visible to the human eye. Thanks to its ability to observe in the mid-infrared, MIRI has revealed not only the dual nature of stars, but also the existence of jets of gas escaping from their north and south poles. This observation stunned the researchers, as Mary Barsony, lead astronomer of the study, put it: ” After decades of study, we thought we knew this source well. But without MIRI, we wouldn’t have known they were two stars or observed these jets. It’s like having new eyes on the Universe.. » The surprises didn’t stop there. Additional observations by the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) revealed that the two stars were surrounded by disks of dust and gaspotential nurseries for future planet formation.
Image by ALMA and James Webb. Jets of gas emanating from the poles appear blue and green. Disks of dust and gas surrounding stars are pink. Credit: NASA As Webb continues to scan the skies with unprecedented clarity, new revelations about the origins and fates of stars and planets are expected, providing an illuminating perspective on our place in the universe.
