James Webb Space Telescope Captures Incredible Images of Dust Being Pushed by Light

The image shows ripples of dust emanating from a pair of orbiting Stars which has been called a rarity among rarities , the two Stars themselves are rare in the Universe and the unusual way they orbit each other causes the production of the dust.

WR 140 is located around 5,600 light-years away in the constellation of Cygnus, and it's a rarity among rarities. It's what is known as a colliding wind binary, consisting of an extremely rare Wolf-Rayet star, and a blue O-type supergiant star companion – another rare object.

Now we get to see their dance for the first time.

As we have previously explained, Wolf-Rayet stars are very hot, very luminous, and very old, blazing away at the end of their main-sequence lifespan. They are significantly depleted in hydrogen, rich in nitrogen or carbon, and losing mass at a very high rate. This lost mass is also high in carbon, which absorbs radiation from the stars and re-emits it as infrared light.

O-type stars, on the other hand, are among the most massive stars known, also very hot and bright; because they are so massive, their lifespans are incredibly brief, winking out after just a few million years.

Both stars in the WR 140 system have fast stellar winds, blowing out into space at around 3,000 kilometers (1,864 miles) per second. Both are therefore losing mass at a pretty furious rate. This is actually pretty normal. But the stars are orbiting each other in an elliptical, or oval, shape, which means they don't orbit evenly. They draw together for a close approach (periastron) and then apart again to a great distance (apastron).

At periastron, their powerful stellar winds collide, creating shocks and a giant puff of dust that expands outwards, creating a dust shell. The stars orbit each other once every 7.94 years, which means each new shell is created 7.94 years after the last one. This predictability means that objects like WR 140 are fascinating objects for studying dust production and acceleration.

Animation of the Star's orbit.


How cool is that !
Like throwing pebbles in a lake.

a reply to: gortex

Linky?

a reply to: Creep Thumper

Sorry.
www.sciencealert.com...

originally posted by: gortex
a reply to: Creep Thumper

Sorry.
www.sciencealert.com...

TY. James Webb is a miracle telescope. The resolution is stunning.

I hope they found a workaround for that problem they were having with a grinding gear, as there will be no spacewalks to repair it.

Sighs!
the ripples of dust are made by the mirrors!
you can even See the shape of the mirrors.

originally posted by: buddha
Sighs!
the ripples of dust are made by the mirrors!
you can even See the shape of the mirrors.

No, the ripples are really there.

This is a binary system. Due to the gravitational effects on this star as its companion star gets close to it in its orbit (which happens about every 8 years) this star sends out a burst of gas and dust in a shell. The shell moves outward and 8 years later it happens again, and another shell moves outward. Repeat this process and you end up with a set of concentric shells lit up by the star.

Bizarre ‘Smoke Rings’ In Space Revealed In Jaw-Dropping New Webb Telescope Image, But What Are They?


Besides, while it may be slightly polygonal, it really doesn't look like the mirrors. As to why the shaped is slightly squarish, astronomers are not quite sure yet, but they think is has something to do with gravitational integrations (like how Saturn's rings could look braided due to small moonlets perturbing them).

JWST Captures Square-Shaped Ripple Rings Around a Star, Perplexing Astronomers

a reply to: gortex

Looks like ripples in a pond indeed.

originally posted by: Soylent Green Is People

originally posted by: buddha
Sighs!
the ripples of dust are made by the mirrors!
you can even See the shape of the mirrors.

No, the ripples are really there.

This is a binary system. Due to the gravitational effects on this star as its companion star gets close to it in its orbit (which happens about every 8 years) this star sends out a burst of gas and dust in a shell. The shell moves outward and 8 years later it happens again, and another shell moves outward. Repeat this process and you end up with a set of concentric shells lit up by the star.

Bizarre ‘Smoke Rings’ In Space Revealed In Jaw-Dropping New Webb Telescope Image, But What Are They?


Besides, while it may be slightly polygonal, it really doesn't look like the mirrors. As to why the shaped is slightly squarish, astronomers are not quite sure yet, but they think is has something to do with gravitational integrations (like how Saturn's rings could look braided due to small moonlets perturbing them).

JWST Captures Square-Shaped Ripple Rings Around a Star, Perplexing Astronomers

OK! you win.
it was just that I could see the shape of
the mirrors they use'd in the rings.

originally posted by: buddha

originally posted by: Soylent Green Is People

originally posted by: buddha
Sighs!
the ripples of dust are made by the mirrors!
you can even See the shape of the mirrors.

No, the ripples are really there.

This is a binary system. Due to the gravitational effects on this star as its companion star gets close to it in its orbit (which happens about every 8 years) this star sends out a burst of gas and dust in a shell. The shell moves outward and 8 years later it happens again, and another shell moves outward. Repeat this process and you end up with a set of concentric shells lit up by the star.

Bizarre ‘Smoke Rings’ In Space Revealed In Jaw-Dropping New Webb Telescope Image, But What Are They?


Besides, while it may be slightly polygonal, it really doesn't look like the mirrors. As to why the shaped is slightly squarish, astronomers are not quite sure yet, but they think is has something to do with gravitational integrations (like how Saturn's rings could look braided due to small moonlets perturbing them).

JWST Captures Square-Shaped Ripple Rings Around a Star, Perplexing Astronomers

OK! you win.
it was just that I could see the shape of
the mirrors they use'd in the rings.

S'all good, man!