NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has captured unprecedented images of star formation in the remote outskirts of the Milky Way, an area known as the Extreme Outer Galaxy.
This region, located more than 58,000 light-years from the Galactic Center, offers scientists a rare glimpse into star-forming environments that resemble the early days of our galaxy.
Exploring the Digel Clouds
Webb’s latest observations focused on two massive molecular clouds, Digel Clouds 1 and 2, which are home to several star clusters currently undergoing intense star formation. These clouds, relatively poor in elements heavier than hydrogen and helium, are similar in composition to dwarf galaxies and to the Milky Way in its early history. The Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) and the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) aboard the Webb Telescope enabled astronomers to peer deep into these regions, revealing star clusters with unprecedented clarity.
