NASA's Webb Space Telescope Captures Never-Before-Seen Stellar Image of Tarantula Nebula

The James Webb Space Telescope has captured stunning and crisp images of the 30 Doradus Nebula also known as the Tarantula Nebula which is located about 161,000 light-years away in the Large Magellanic Cloud Galaxy.

The Large Magellanic Cloud Galaxy is one of the satellite galaxies of the Milky Way and one of the closest galaxies to the Milky Way.

What is Tarantula Nebula?

Tarantula Nebula is a large area of ionized interstellar atomic hydrogen which is also known as the H II region. The Tarantula Nebula was first discovered by the French astronomer Nicolas-Louis de Lacaille while on an expedition to the Cape of Good Hope, South Africa between 1751 and 1753.

Located 161,000 light-years away in the Large Magellanic Cloud Galaxy, the Tarantula Nebula is the largest and the brightest star-forming region in the Local Group, a group of galaxies nearest to the Milky Way.

It is home to the most massive and hottest stars in the galaxy.

Why is it Called Tarantula Nebula?

The official name of Tarantula Nebula is 30 Doradus. It is called as Tarantula Nebula due to the appearance of dusty filaments observed in images previously captured. The presence of these dusty filaments makes it appear like the Tarantula spider which is a hairy spider found on the earth.

Why is it Famous?

The Tarantula Nebula is a favourite among astronomers who are studying star formation. A recent image released by NASA shows the presence of thousands of young stars, the presence of distant galaxies and the detailed structure and composition of the dust and gas of the nebula.

This Webb caught a giant space tarantula! 🕸️ Take a moment to stare into thousands of never-before-seen young stars in the Tarantula Nebula. @NASAWebb reveals details of the structure and composition of the nebula, as well as background galaxies: https://t.co/DZePgDpPEH pic.twitter.com/aSmPDqgKTE

— NASA (@NASA) September 6, 2022

The interest in Tarantula Nebula is due to its similar chemical composition to the gigantic star-forming regions as was observed during the cosmic noon after a billion years of the Big Bang event of universe formation.

This gives the scientists a great example to witness the events that led to the formation of the universe.

Latest Observation

The James Webb Telescope using its Near-Infrared Camera or NIRCam which is also its primary imager was able to picture the Tarantula Nebula, which appears hollowed out in the middle due to the radiations and stellar winds caused by the burst of ultraviolet rays emanating from the cluster of massive young stars.

September 07, 2022