The image, released Oct. 22, 2026, shows a turbulent cauldron of star formation filled with dense clumps of gas, according to NASA. N159 has a lower metallicity, the proportion of elements heavier than hydrogen and helium, than the Milky Way, giving astronomers an opportunity to learn more about conditions found in the early universe and how stars formed under those conditions. The image is credited to ESA/Webb, NASA and CSA, with processing by E. Sabbi and M. Zamani of ESA/Webb and acknowledgement to M. H. Özsaraç.
Webb telescope captures turbulent star nursery in the Large Magellanic Cloud
Low-metallicity region N159 offers a window onto star formation in the early universe
The James Webb Space Telescope has released a new image of N159, a turbulent star-forming region 161,000 light-years away in the Large Magellanic Cloud, one of the satellite galaxies orbiting the Milky Way.
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Analysis
Why This Matters
- N159's gas holds fewer heavy elements than the Milky Way, so the region resembles the conditions of the early universe, before stars had forged and spread heavier elements. The Webb image can show how stars formed in that kind of gas.
- At 161,000 light-years away, the region is close enough for telescopes to resolve details such as the dense clumps of gas seen in the new image.
- The observations can inform models of star formation not only in the Large Magellanic Cloud but across cosmic history.
Background
The James Webb Space Telescope is an infrared space observatory operated by NASA, ESA and the Canadian Space Agency that studies targets ranging from planets to the universe's earliest galaxies.
Metallicity, the proportion of elements heavier than hydrogen and helium, was very low in the early universe because heavy elements are forged inside stars over time. Low-metallicity regions today therefore act as natural laboratories for studying how stars formed in conditions like those of the young universe.
What to Watch
- Further analysis of N159's dense gas clumps and how they collapse to form new stars in a low-metallicity environment.
- How star formation in N159 compares with star-forming regions in the Milky Way, where metallicity is higher.
- Whether astronomers use N159 to refine models of early-universe star formation, the opportunity that NASA highlights for this region.
Sources
Checked
10 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 9 supported.
Show each claim
- SupportedWebb captured a turbulent star nursery in the Large Magellanic Cloud.NASA: “In this Webb image released on Oct. 22, 2026, we see a turbulent cauldron of star formation”
- SupportedN159’s low metallicity offers astronomers a window onto conditions in the early universe.NASA: “This region has a lower metallicity (proportion of elements that are heavier than helium and hydrogen) than the Milky Way, giving astronomers an opportunity to learn more about conditions found in the early universe”
- SupportedThe James Webb Space Telescope released a new image of N159.NASA: “In this Webb image released on Oct. 22, 2026, we see a turbulent cauldron of star formation”
- SupportedN159 is 161,000 light-years away in the Large Magellanic Cloud.NASA: “This region is named N159 and is located 161,000 light-years away in the Large Magellanic Cloud”
- SupportedThe Large Magellanic Cloud is one of the satellite galaxies orbiting the Milky Way.NASA: “one of the satellite galaxies orbiting the Milky Way galaxy.”
- SupportedThe image was released on Oct. 22, 2026.NASA: “In this Webb image released on Oct. 22, 2026”
- SupportedNASA describes the region as a turbulent cauldron of star formation filled with dense gas clumps.NASA: “we see a turbulent cauldron of star formation filled with dense clumps of gas.”
- SupportedN159 has lower metallicity than the Milky Way, with metallicity defined as the proportion of elements heavier than hydrogen and helium.NASA: “This region has a lower metallicity (proportion of elements that are heavier than helium and hydrogen) than the Milky Way”
- SupportedN159 gives astronomers an opportunity to learn how stars formed under early-universe conditions.NASA: “giving astronomers an opportunity to learn more about conditions found in the early universe and how stars formed under those conditions.”
- Partly supportedE. Sabbi and M. Zamani processed the image.NASA: “Image credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, E. Sabbi, M. Zamani (ESA/Webb); Acknowledgement: M. H. Özsaraç”