NASA's James Webb Space Telescope Captures Unprecedented Image of Supernova Remnant

High-definition image reveals intricate details of Cassiopeia A and uncovers new feature 'Baby Cas A'

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope has captured a high-definition image of the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A (Cas A), revealing intricate details of the expanding shell of material slamming into the gas shed by the star before it exploded.
The image, taken with Webb's Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam), shows the supernova remnant in unprecedented detail, including tiny knots of gas comprised of sulfur, oxygen, argon, and neon from the star itself.
The NIRCam image also revealed a large blob in the bottom right-hand corner, nicknamed 'Baby Cas A', which is a light echo from the star's explosion warming distant dust.
Comparisons between the new NIRCam image and a previous image taken with Webb's Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) have revealed differences that are puzzling scientists, including the absence of a loop of green light in the NIRCam image that was visible in the MIRI image.
Cassiopeia A is one of the most well-studied supernova remnants in the cosmos, located 11,000 light-years away in the constellation Cassiopeia. It's estimated to have exploded about 340 years ago from our point of view.