Using superior infrared imaging, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has captured unprecedented particulars of the supermassive star cluster Westerlund 1, positioned round 12,000 light-years from Earth. The findings, launched by the Extended Westerlund 1 and a pair of Open Clusters Survey (EWOCS), present essential insights into the cluster’s stellar composition and formation processes. Spanning over 6.6 light-years with a mass equal to 63,000 suns, Westerlund 1 is the closest supermassive star cluster to Earth and hosts tons of of huge stars in a dense configuration.
Unique Stellar Features Identified
Mario Giuseppe, workforce chief on the Palermo Astronomical Observatory, instructed Space.com that observations had been prolonged to detect brown dwarfs—stars on the lowest finish of the mass spectrum. Giuseppe reportedly highlighted the potential to analyse the mass distribution and star formation mechanisms throughout the cluster. This work is predicted to refine the understanding of starburst environments and their affect on planetary growth.
JWST’s devices, the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) and the Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam), supplied deep imaging capabilities, revealing intricate fuel and mud constructions surrounding Westerlund 1. This materials, believed to consequence from huge stars’ ultimate evolutionary phases, challenges prior assumptions that younger clusters expel such remnants inside 1,000,000 years.
Wider Collaborative Research Efforts
EWOCS has utilised knowledge from different observatories, together with the Hubble Space Telescope, ALMA, and NASA’s Chandra X-ray Space Telescope, to enhance the JWST findings, as per a number of experiences. Studies on Westerlund 1’s intracluster materials and high-energy phenomena, together with binary programs and developed stars, are anticipated within the subsequent few years.
The analysis, which additionally entails analysing the marginally youthful Westerlund 2 cluster, is predicted to make clear star and planet formation beneath excessive circumstances. These findings have been revealed in Astronomy & Astrophysics and can be found as a preprint on arXiv.
