New Delhi: The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has peered into the most massive and active star-forming region in the Milky Way. Sagittarius B2 is located only a few hundred lightyears from the supermassive black hole that occupies the core of the Milky Way, designated as Sagittarius A*. The gas and dust in such regions typically shrouds the view of the stars inside from astronomical instruments, but Webb is able to peer through because of its exquisite sensitivity to infrared light.
The dark patches in the image are notable because of the extreme density of the gas and dust, which even Webb cannot see through. These are the cocoons encapsulating embryonic stars that are still to incipient to sustain nuclear fusion and shine. Webb has revealed unprecedented details in the region, incl