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Thousands of newborn stars dazzle in latest picture from Nasa’s Webb telescope

The picture provides a view of a nearby star-birthing centre, 5,500 light-years away.

By contributor Associated Press reporters
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Supporting image for story: Thousands of newborn stars dazzle in latest picture from Nasa’s Webb telescope
A scene of star birth in Pismis 24, a young star cluster about 5,500 light-years from Earth in the constellation Scorpius taken by Nasa’s Webb Space Telescope (Nasa via AP)

Thousands of newborn stars sparkle in the latest image from Nasa’s Webb Space Telescope.

Released this week, the picture provides a view of a nearby star-birthing centre, 5,500 light-years away. A single light-year is 5.8 trillion miles.

Besides baby stars in a variety of sizes and colours, the photo reveals a dramatic cloud of star-forming dust and gas.

This cloud – the so-called Lobster Nebula – is so massive that it spills beyond the camera lens. The cluster of infant stars, named Pismis 24, is located deep inside.

Launched in 2021, Webb is the largest and most powerful telescope ever sent into space.

It views the universe in the infrared, spending more than five hours to capture this one shot.