NASA’s Webb telescope spots cosmic 'wood grain' in dying star’s explosion light

Once upon a cosmic moment, a massive star collapsed. The collapse created a shockwave, ripping the star apart. This explosion sent intense X-ray and ultraviolet light outward. After 350 years, this light reached surrounding interstellar material.

NASA’s Webb Telescope captured the glowing infrared light echo. These new observations reveal intricate details resembling wood grain patterns. Astronomers are mapping the 3D structure of interstellar dust.

Jacob Jencson from Caltech described the detail as “shocking.” Astronomers see these cosmic layers as “onion-like,” said Josh Peek. “We’ve never been able to look inside before,” he added.

This background image of the region around supernova remnant Cassiopeia A was released by NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope in 2008. (Image: NASA)

New Insight into the Universe’s Hidden Structure
Webb’s images show tightly packed sheets of interstellar material. These sheets are about 400 astronomical units in size. Some regions resemble knots in wood grain, possibly shaped by magnetic fields.
“This is like a cosmic CT scan,” said Armin Rest. The images provide a 3D view of the interstellar medium. This marks a major leap in understanding cosmic dust.