A Census of Star Formation

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Produced by the Space Telescope Science Institute’s Office of Public Outreach in collaboration with NASA’s Universe of Learning partners: Caltech/IPAC, Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian, and NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
 
Video imagery:

  • Webb Telescope image of NGC 1433: NASA, ESA, CSA, Janice Lee (NOIRLab). Image processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI)
  • Webb Telescope image of NGC 1365: NASA, ESA, CSA, Janice Lee (NOIRLab). Image processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI)
  • Webb Telescope image of NGC 7496: NASA, ESA, CSA, Janice Lee (NOIRLab). Image processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI)
 
Writer: Leah Ramsay
Designer: Leah Hustak, Joseph Olmsted
Science review: Dr. Kelly Lepo
Education review: Jim Manning
Music from Music for Non-Profits

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A montage of celestial images scrolls by. Title, News from the Universe. The text sits above a planet.
 
Image, A central glowing spiral-shaped mass sends out wispy arms of stars and planets. Text, February 24, 2023, A census of star formation. NASA's Webb Telescope has completed the largest survey of its first year of science operations, observing 19 nearby galaxies.
 
Image, a white mass covers layers of red and blue with pinpoints of light over the dark sky. Text, The mid-infrared light Webb detects is able to pass through thick dust, revealing detailed structures in the spiral arms and bubbles blown by young stars.
 
Image, A bright white star has multiple red arms with a spiral of colors and shapes around it. Text, Astronomers are using Webb data to create an unprecedented census of star formation and its impact on galaxies.
 
With Webb, long-standing questions about the early stages of star formation, and their impact on galaxy evolution, can finally be explored.
 
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This news was partly brought to you by the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, MD.