Webb Telescope Captures Stunning Image of ‘Green Monster’ Supernova Remnant

Webb was designed from the ground up for precisely this kind of observation. The telescope’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) can peer past the cocoon of dust and gas surrounding Cas A, revealing new features invisible to other observatories. The colors in the Webb image have been shifted into the visible spectrum. The orange and red sections wrapping around the top of the image indicate warm dust, marking where the material ejected from the dying star has started colliding with interstellar gas. Outside the shell, the curls of pink come from material within the star rich in heavy elements like oxygen, argon, and neon. Scientists are still trying to sort out all the emissions in these regions…