We often view Earth as a small planet orbiting a medium-sized star on the outskirts of the galaxy. In reality, we are located in the galactic suburbs, far from the busy Galactic Center but also far from the distant outer regions. Recently, astronomers used JWST to study a region known as the Extreme Outer Galaxy (EOG) – a place that Farscape’s John Crichton might recognize as the Uncharted Territories – to investigate star formation in the outer parts of the galaxy.
Using JWST’s NIRCam and MIRI, astronomers observed a region 58,000 light-years away from the Galactic Center, which is more than twice the distance of the Sun from the center. They focused on two molecular clouds called Digel Clouds 1 and 2, where unique stars are currently forming.
JWST’s high sensitivity allowed astronomers to map the region in great detail, capturing protostars, radiation jets, nebulae, and even distant galaxies. The findings of this study were published in the Astronomical Journal.
JWST Studies Star Formation at the Galaxy’s Edge
Lead author Natsuko Izumo stated, “In the past, we knew about these star forming regions but were not able to delve into their properties. The Webb data builds upon what we have incrementally gathered over the years from prior observations with different telescopes and observatories. We can get very powerful and impressive images of these clouds with Webb. In the case of Digel Cloud 2, I did not expect to see such active star formation and spectacular jets.”
JWST’s sensitivity was 10 times better than previous observations, allowing astronomers to see individual stars within Digel Cloud 2 for the first time. These observations provide a detailed look at star formation in the EOG, revealing insights into the galactic history.
Through MIRI and NIRCam, JWST captured images of Digel Cloud 2 using various filters to highlight different frequencies of light. The resulting image shows young stars emitting radiation jets in various directions, offering a glimpse into the early stages of their life cycle.
Astronomers plan to continue studying regions like Digel Cloud 2 to track the evolution of stars and our galaxy from beginning to end. Explore the Uncharted Territories yourself on Farscape, streaming now on Peacock.