The James Webb Space Telescope has captured images of a rare cosmic sight, a “fingerprint in space”.
The telescope has captured an image of a pair of stars with at least 17 concentric dust rings coming from them.
Known as a Wolf-Rayet star, the duo formed the rings when the two stars came close together and the streams of gas they blow into space collided, which compressed the gas forming dust. These stars’ orbits bring them together about once every eight years.
Newfoundlander and Chief Science Communications Officer for the James Webb Telescope, Bethany Downer, says the rings can show the age of the Wolf-Rayet star.
She says it can be compared to a tree trunk, in that the loops mark the passing of time. New loops will be formed every eight years. It’s the first time they’ve seen such an occurrence in this much detail.
Downer says the James Webb Telescope is turning up new findings at a rapid pace, which is exciting for expanding the science of space.
She says she first became interested in space after seeing images from the Hubble Space Telescope, so she’s excited for others to have that experience with the James Webb.
This new image from the James Webb Space Telescope reveals at least 17 concentric dust rings emanating from a pair of stars. Located just over 5,000 light-years from Earth, the duo is collectively known as Wolf-Rayet 140.
Details: https://t.co/jVJowyABER #JWST #JamesWebb pic.twitter.com/YpDURbmQz1
— Bethany Downer (@BethanyAstro) October 12, 2022