Astronomers have used the James Webb Space Telescope to investigate a stellar nursery packed with infant stars in the Orion Nebula. The investigation has helped to uncover the effect that radiation from massive stars has on planet formation.
The Orion Nebula is a massive complex of gas and dust that forms the building blocks of new stars. In fact, it's the nearest star-forming region to Earth. However, this stellar precursor material can also absorb light, acting as a shield for recently born, post-natal stars. That makes it hard for scientists to see those baby stars from our vantage point on Earth. The light the bodies emanate gets effectively hidden. Fortunately, though, the material is less effective at screening low-energy and long-wavelength light: Infrared light.
