NASA's Webb telescope captures supernova remnant Cassiopeia A in striking detail

The magnificence of the remnant of a star explosion is no less than the star itself, and a new image captured by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope is the proof. The telescope recently captured a stunning glimpse of Cassiopeia A (Cas A), a shiny remain of a star that exploded some 340 years ago.

According to NASA's official website, Cas A is the youngest remnant of a massive star in our galaxy known to mankind. It offers a peek into the supernovae phenomenon and its complexities. “Cas A represents our best opportunity to look at the debris field of an exploded star and run a kind of stellar autopsy to understand what type of star was there beforehand and how that star exploded,” said Danny Milisavljevic of Purdue University who led the investigation of the Webb program that was responsible for the mid-infrared image.

The supernova remnant in question is unique from others of its kind, as scientists were able to see it in great detail like never before. “Compared to previous infrared images, we see incredible detail that we haven't been able to access before,” said Tea Temim, the co-investigator on the program.

What is Cassiopeia A? 

Cassiopeia A belongs to the prototypical type of a supernova remnant and has been extensively studied during observatories on the ground and in space, including NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory. The remnant spans about 10 light-years and is situated 1,000 light-years away from Cassiopeia, the constellation. 

The new image captured by Webb has inspired scientists and researchers to dive deeper into the mysteries of star explosions. “By understanding the process of exploding stars, we’re reading our own origin story. I’m going to spend the rest of my career trying to understand what’s in this data set," Milisavljevic said.