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Rho Ophiuchi

Rho Ophiuchi, the closest star-forming region to Earth, in a NIRCam image.
Rho Ophiuchi, the closest star-forming region to Earth, in a NIRCam image. Image: Image NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Klaus Pontoppidan (STScI) Image Processing Alyssa Pagan (STScI)

This image was just released today. It depicts a star-forming cloud complex just 390 light-years from Earth.

Webb has two infrared spectrum imagers, NIRCam (for near-infrared light) and MIRI (for mid-infrared light). This image was taken by NIRCam, and shows massive hydrogen jets in red. There are about 50 stars in the region depicted in this image.

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