WR 124, Jigsaw Puzzle

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WR 124:

 The luminous, hot star Wolf-Rayet 124 (WR 124) is prominently featured at the center of the James Webb Space Telescope's composite image, which combines 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. At the same time, Webb's Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) reveals the nebula's structure.

Background stars and background galaxies populate the field of view, peeking through the nebula of gas and dust that has been ejected from the aging massive star, spanning 10 light-years across space. A history of the star's past episodes of mass 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, with tails streaming out behind them, blown back by the stellar wind.

Constellation:            Sagitta

Dimensions:              Image is about 2.2 arcminutes across (10 light-years)

Distance:                   15,000 light-years

Exposure Dates:       2 June and 10 June 2022