About the Object

Name: WR 124
Distance: 15000 light years
Constellation: Sagitta
Category: MIRI
Nebulae
NIRCam
Stars

Coordinates

Position (RA):19 11 31.02
Position (Dec):16° 51' 37.29"
Field of view:2.21 x 2.18 arcminutes
Orientation:North is 40.6° right of vertical



Colours & filters

BandWavelengthTelescope
Infrared
PAH
7.7 μmJames Webb Space Telescope
MIRI
Optical900 nmJames Webb Space Telescope
NIRCam
Infrared1.5 μmJames Webb Space Telescope
NIRCam
Infrared
PAH
11 μmJames Webb Space Telescope
MIRI
Infrared
PAH
3.35 μmJames Webb Space Telescope
NIRCam
Infrared
methane
2.1 μmJames Webb Space Telescope
NIRCam
Infrared
Silicate
18 μmJames Webb Space Telescope
MIRI
Infrared4.44 μmJames Webb Space Telescope
NIRCam
Infrared
molecular hydrogen
4.7 μmJames Webb Space Telescope
NIRCam
Infrared12 μmJames Webb Space Telescope
MIRI

Wolf-Rayet 124 (NIRCam and MIRI composite image)

The luminous, hot star Wolf-Rayet 124 (WR 124) is prominent at the centre of the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope’s composite image combining near-infrared and mid-infrared wavelengths of light. The star displays the characteristic diffraction spikes of Webb’s Near-infrared Camera (NIRCam), caused by the physical structure of the telescope itself. NIRCam effectively balances the brightness of the star with the fainter gas and dust surrounding it, while Webb’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) reveals the nebula’s structure.

Background stars and galaxies populate the field of view and peek through the nebula of gas and dust that has been ejected from the ageing massive star to span 10 light-years across space. A history of the star’s past episodes of mass loss can be read in the nebula’s structure. Rather than smooth shells, the nebula is formed from random, asymmetric ejections. Bright clumps of gas and dust appear like tadpoles swimming toward the star, their tails streaming out behind them, blown back by the stellar wind.

This image combines various filters from both Webb imaging instruments, with the colour red assigned to wavelengths of 4.44, 4.7, 12.8, and 18 microns (F444W, F470N, F1280W, F1800W), green to 2.1, 3.35, and 11.3 microns (F210M, F335M, F1130W), and blue to 0.9, 1.5, and 7.7 microns (F090W, F150W, F770W).

[Image Description: A large, bright star shines from the centre with smaller stars scattered throughout the image. A clumpy cloud of material surrounds the central star, with more material above and below than on the sides, in some places allowing background stars to peek through. The cloud material is yellow closer to the star.]

Credit:

NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Webb ERO Production Team

About the Image

Id: weic2307a
Type: Observation
Release date: 14 March 2023, 19:00
Related releases: weic2307
Size: 4416 x 4349 px


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