NASA James Webb Space Telescope captures Wolf-Rayet stars on cusp of death

The observation of the stars was among the first made by the James Webb telescope following its launch in 2021. With the help of infrared equipment, it observed all the gas and dust flung into space by a huge, hot star 15,000 light years away.

The star named WR 124 was seen shimmering in purple like a cherry blossom, as it was in the process of casting off the outer layers which created halos of gas and dust.

The same transitioning star was captured by the Hubble Space Telescope a few decades ago, but it appeared more like a fireball without the delicate details as seen in the shot taken by the Webb telescope.

“We've never seen it like that before. It's really exciting,” said Macarena Garcia Marin, a European Space Agency scientist who is part of the project, was quoted as saying in a Times of India report.

According to NASA’s blog, WR 124 is in the constellation Sagittarius, and it is 30 times as big as our sun. In its current state, the star has already shed enough material to account for 10 suns.

Stars like WR 124 help astronomers understand a crucial period in the early history of the universe. Dying stars similar to the WR 124 first seeded the young universe with heavy elements which were forged in their cores. These elements are now common in the current era, including on Earth.

Also, the origin of cosmic dust can survive a supernova blast and contribute to the universe’s overall “dust budget” which is a great area of interest for astronomers.

Webb’s detailed image of WR 124 will preserve a crucial brief of the turbulent time of transformation. The image promises future discoveries that will reveal more details of the mysteries surrounding cosmic dust.