Cosmic Cliffs
May 15, 2025
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has unveiled a recent view of a star-forming region known as the Cosmic Cliffs, a portion of the nebula Gum 31 within the vast Carina Nebula Complex. This celestial landscape, resembling towering mountains and deep valleys, is shaped by the intense ultraviolet radiation and stellar winds from young, massive stars in the nearby cluster NGC 3324. The image, captured in infrared light, reveals previously hidden areas of star birth, offering an unprecedented glimpse into the dynamic processes that govern stellar formation.
The Cosmic Cliffs are sculpted by the relentless forces of radiation and wind, which carve out cavities in the surrounding gas and dust. The tallest peaks in this image stretch approximately seven light-years high, forming a dramatic boundary between the nebula’s dense material and the expanding void created by newborn stars. The wisps of gas and dust streaming away from the cliffs appear as mist rising from the celestial mountains, a visual representation of the ionized material being pushed outward by energetic radiation.
One of the most striking aspects of Webb’s observation is its ability to penetrate cosmic dust, revealing young stars in their earliest stages of formation. These protostars, previously obscured in visible-light images, emerge as bright red dots scattered throughout the nebula. Some of these infant stars are accompanied by powerful jets, which appear as golden streaks cutting through the surrounding gas. These jets are a hallmark of stellar birth, signifying the ongoing accumulation of material that will eventually form fully developed stars. Learn more about the Cosmic Cliffs at NASA.
The video above is intended for educational purposes and does not constitute or imply an endorsement by FutureForAll.org.
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