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4 Min Read

NASA’s Webb Reveals Stars Sparking to Life in Cosmic Celebration

In infrared light, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope reveals bright protostars in star system FS Tau and a tapestry of background galaxies. FS Tau B, the orange protostar slightly right of center, is thought to be responsible for the orange outflows amid the dusty region.

Credits:

Image: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI; Image Processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI)

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has captured the infrared light of numerous features that previously were impossible to see beyond the thick dust of the FS Tau star system. In addition to myriad background galaxies that burst into view like fireworks for the United States’ 250th anniversary celebrations, this image flickers with a number of protostars , or baby stars that are formed from dense pockets of gas and dust. These hot, clumpy, and low-mass objects eventually will become full-fledged stars capable of burning hydrogen in their cores, like our Sun. The protostars of FS Tau are about 1 to 3 million years old, which is relatively young in cosmic scales. Our Sun, by contrast, is 4.6 billion years old.

Low-mass stars emit less radiation and have less energetic stellar winds than those with larger masses, which means they disrupt their environment at a much lower level. This makes the FS Tau region incredibly useful for studying low-mass star evolution without the same level of environmental interference seen near higher-mass stars. A pair of protostars that creates the largest diffraction pattern seen slightly to the left of center in the image, called FS Tau A, is about half the mass of our Sun.

Image: FS Tau (Webb Image)

In infrared light, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope reveals bright protostars in star system FS Tau and a tapestry of background galaxies. FS Tau B, the orange protostar slightly right of center, is thought to be responsible for the orange outflows amid the dusty region.

Image: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI; Image Processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI)

Even though these objects are young and low-mass, they still can impact their surroundings, partially due to the outflows they emit. These outflows, seen as orange and red wisps and wide sheets, are theorized to come from FS Tau B, the protostar slightly to the right of center that has an orange diffraction pattern. As FS Tau B feeds on the surrounding dust and gas to grow, it ejects some of that matter outward. The wider outflows are thought to come from the interaction between the protostar’s magnetic field and superheated matter closest to the protostar within its accretion disk . The disk is seen as a dark band that cuts across at a 30-degree angle.

The gaps between the outflows, newly discovered in this Webb observation, add to growing evidence that protostars accrete matter in discrete episodes. In the periods where protostars gather material and increase in mass, they also eject superheated matter in different directions. In between these episodes, they are relatively quiet.

Image: FS Tau Side-by-Side (Webb and Hubble Image)

A comparison between the observations of FS Tau by NASA’s Hubble and James Webb space telescopes. Hubble’s visible-light view shows the star-forming region mostly obscured by thick dust. Webb sees through the dust, revealing how the protostars are shaping their surroundings.

Image: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI; Image Processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI)

As protostars eject these outflows, they shape their surroundings. This is best shown by the prominent light-blue ridges of dust and gas near FS Tau B. These thicker regions were likely created as outflows struck and compressed matter together. The brightness of these light-blue ridges shows that the nearby protostar’s light is reflected. Moreover, Webb’s sensitivity reveals the varying textures of dust and gas across the entire region.

The range of colors seen in this observation also provides a wealth of information, specifically about where dust is and how much of it obscures the region. Light with bluer wavelengths is absorbed and scattered by dust, while redder-wavelength light is able to slip through. Therefore, background galaxies behind thicker foreground dust appear redder. Alternatively, yellow galaxies have much less dust obscuring them. The few white stars visible in this image are likely in the foreground.

The James Webb Space Telescope is the world’s premier space science observatory. Webb is solving mysteries in our solar system, looking beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probing the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and CSA (Canadian Space Agency).

To learn more about Webb, visit:

https://science.nasa.gov/webb

Downloads & Related Information

The following sections contain links to download this article’s images and videos in all available resolutions followed by related information links, media contacts, and if available, research paper and Spanish translation links.

Related Images & Videos

FS Tau (Webb Image)

In infrared light, NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope reveals bright protostars in star system FS Tau and a tapestry of background galaxies. FS Tau B, the orange protostar slightly right of center, is thought to be responsible for the orange outflows amid the dusty region.

FS Tau Side-by-Side (Webb and Hubble Image)

A comparison between the observations of FS Tau by NASA’s Hubble and James Webb space telescopes. Hubble’s visible-light view shows the star-forming region mostly obscured by thick dust. Webb sees through the dust, revealing how the protostars are shaping their surroundings.

FS Tau (Webb Compass Image)

An image of FS Tau captured by Webb’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera), with compass arrows, scale bar, and color key for reference.

Related Links

Read more: Webb’s Star Formation Discoveries

Explore more: ViewSpace | Image Tour: Herbig-Haro 46/47

Watch: Herbig-Haro 49/50 Stellar Jets Visualization

Explore more: ViewSpace | Star formation in the Eagle Nebula

Watch: Celestial Lightsabers: Stellar Jets in HH24

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Last Updated

Jul 02, 2026

Location

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

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Media

Laura Betz

NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center

Greenbelt, Maryland

laura.e.betz@nasa.gov

Matthew Brown

Space Telescope Science Institute

Baltimore, Maryland

Abigail Major

Space Telescope Science Institute

Baltimore, Maryland

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Goddard Space Flight Center

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Rockstar developers seeking union recognition claim the company's crunch problem is so entrenched that it's actually been codified in contracts as a way to skirt labor regulations.

Multiple devs spoke to Game Developer about the goals of the Rockstar Game Workers Union – voluntary recognition chief among them . Fighting crunch is also at the top of the list.

"Crunch is prevalent enough that the company built into our contracts, as standard, an opt out of the Working Time Regulations," one developer says, referring to a UK labor regulation which states , among other things and with some exceptions, that people "cannot work more than 48 hours a week on average" and can opt out of an imposed 48-hour week.

However, this employment right can be waived voluntarily, and Rockstar's been accused of countering it with its own opt-out agreement which paves the way for crunch. By accepting the terms – to, you know, get a job – employees can open themselves up to heavy overtime.

"The union successfully ran a campaign to inform people they could opt back in to the regulations at any time, which resulted in Rockstar management simplifying the process and removing the obligation to meet with HR," this developer adds. "Part of the problem with crunch is that there is not an agreed definition, and now it seems the company thinks that offering specific and limited compensation as an incentive for overtime means it no longer qualifies as crunch."

As GTA 6 approaches its long-delayed launch, crunch at Rockstar is reportedly uneven, with some teams avoiding it while employees in other disciplines "seem to never get out of it."

These developers also allege that Rockstar has enabled and tolerated a culture of unequal pay, with the median gender pay gap reportedly widening at the studio amid canceled pushes to balance it. This pay culture reportedly sees significant portions of employee wages regularly withheld in the form of inconsistent bonuses, with up to 20% of expected pay sometimes vanishing for unclear reasons, including "completely subjective or retroactive criticisms."

This week, Rockstar confirmed it will "arrange to meet" union reps .

Rockstar union rep claims GTA 6 bosses can "easily afford" demands after reportedly generating $3 billion in pre-orders as devs call for "fairer crunch" and "pay transparency."

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Today in Books readers, I have an important update : this is the last week of this newsletter. Luckily, you can still follow all the book news by signing up for the Book Riot Newsletter , which goes out on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. It’s the same book news curation, covered by the same Book Riot writers, but in an expanded newsletter with more content. See you there!

Which Book Will be an American Classic in 250 Years?

On the 250th anniversary of the United States of America, USA Today asked authors which books they think will be considered American classics in another 250 years. Some picked new releases that they think will stand the test of time—Casey McQuiston endorsed Palaver by Bryan Washington for its “soulful and sincere” writing and “restrained and attentive prose.” Others chose classics they think will still be relevant in 250 years, like Matt Dinniman’s pick, Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh.

I’m Canadian, so I can’t pretend I’m invested in the future of the Great American Novel, but Beloved by Toni Morrison feels like the obvious answer here. As for a new release I think will still be around in 250 years, I’m going to place my bet on Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo. Historical fiction tends to age more gracefully, and it’s such a perfect snapshot of American history, including all the ugliness. I can imagine it still being taught in schools in 250 years.

The Most Popular Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books of the Past 3 Years

Goodreads has put together a list of the most popular SFF books of the past three years—that is, books that neatly fall into either sci-fi or fantasy (not romantasy) and were published between June 2023 and June 2026. They also need to have an average star rating of over 3.5.

My reading taste is strange and particular, so I’m not surprised that I’ve only read about five of their 104 picks. I was pleasantly surprised by how many queer books I spotted here, though. Queer SFF has taken off in recent years and has really broken through to the mainstream, including with books like Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab and Bookshops & Bonedust (Legends & Lattes) by Travis Baldree. Another one of my favorites that I was pleasantly surprised to see here is The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar, a queer fae murder ballad novella. (If that doesn’t hook you, I don’t know what will.)

Unsurprisingly, the sci-fi list is crowded with Matt Dinniman and Martha Wells titles, but alongside them are experimental and literary takes on sci-fi, like Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor, Sky Full of Elephants by Cebo Campbell, and The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami.

Bid in the Romancing the Vote Auction to Defend Democracy

This is the third Romancing the Vote auction , created by romance authors Courtney Milan and Kit Rocha to raise money for organizations fighting for every vote to count. This year, money raised will go to Vote Riders and The Southern Coalition for Social Justice. There are all kinds of items to bid on, from annotated books by your favorite authors to stunning crafts to writing consultations with experts. Bidding is open from July 1st to July 5th.

The Queer Books I Read in June

Every month, I do a recap of my reading for All Access members, which can be a little more revealing than I’d like. There’s no hiding my current hyperfixation while going over my reading list. Here are the seven queer books I read in June , plus some of the options on my July TBR.

What are you reading? Let us know in the comments !

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A mysterious wavelength of light is missing from the dwarf planet Pluto and Saturn's supersized moon Titan, new James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) observations show. The surprising discovery hints that these worlds harbor an unknown molecule that has not been seen in any other solar system world or exoplanet so far.

Every element or molecule in the universe absorbs unique wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation . Therefore, one of the main ways astronomers study distant worlds — both inside and outside the solar system — is by closely examining the light that reflects off them and searching for dark "absorption lines" that correspond to the wavelengths of known chemical compounds.

For example, molecular oxygen absorbs light at 230 nanometers, so if the electromagnetic spectrum of a faraway exoplanet has an absorption line at this frequency, researchers can be confident that its atmosphere contains oxygen, according to a 2021 study .

JWST has proved to be exceptionally good at capturing electromagnetic spectra and identifying specific chemicals in exoplanet atmospheres , around distant stars and within primitive galaxies . It has even identified a molecule on one alien world that could point to extraterrestrial life .

In a new study, uploaded June 11 to the preprint server arXiv , researchers analyzed JWST data from Pluto and Titan , focusing on very small wavelengths that have been relatively unexplored until now. This revealed a specific absorption line at around 5.11 micrometers in both worlds' spectra. (These findings have not been published in a peer-reviewed journal yet.)

The James Webb Space Telescope is specially designed to be able to detect subtle absorption signals from distant worlds. (Image credit: Getty Images) The team pored through similar studies on other planetary spectra but "did not find any band referenced in these publications that corresponds to the location of the observed absorption in Titan and Pluto," the researchers wrote in the paper.

A molecular mystery

The discovery is even stranger because there are very few similarities between Pluto and Titan that could explain why they share a molecule not found anywhere else.

Titan is the largest of Saturn's many moons and is even larger than Mercury . It is also the only solar system world, other than Earth, that is known to have liquid rivers and oceans on its surface. Pluto, on the other hand, is a completely frozen world that's around half the size of Titan and roughly four times farther from the sun than Saturn's satellite is.

Both worlds do have similar atmospheres that are rich in methane and nitrogen. However, the researchers are confident that the molecule responsible for the 5.11-micrometer absorption line is located on both worlds' surfaces, not in their atmospheres.

Titan and Pluto are very different worlds. Saturn's largest moon has liquid on its surface and is around four times closer to the sun than the dwarf planet. (Image credit: Getty Images) Pluto's absorption line is around three times thicker than Titan's, meaning the mystery molecule is likely much more abundant on the dwarf planet. But on Titan, the molecule seems to be unevenly distributed, with a stronger absorption line on its trailing side — the hemisphere opposite to its forward momentum around Saturn — than on its leading side.

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The researchers proposed that it could be benzene — a ring-shaped hydrocarbon — mixed with an unknown molecule, or some form of acetylene or ketene ice. However, much more work is needed to prove that any of these potential candidates are responsible for absorbing this specific wavelength, they wrote.

NASA's Dragonfly spacecraft, which is set to launch no earlier than 2028 and fly through Titan's atmosphere in 2034, could eventually shed more light on the situation. The helicopter-like craft's onboard spectrograph could identify the mystery molecule on Saturn's moon, which would also help reveal if it is viable on Pluto, the researchers suggested. But in the meantime, we'll have to wait to unravel this curious cosmic conundrum.

See how well you know our planetary neighborhood with our solar system quiz!

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Sony plans to stop producing physical discs by January 2026

The announced has spawned an overwhelmingly negative reaction from many PlayStation fans

Many are concerned about what this means for game ownership and the PS6 era

Sony has announced that it plans to stop producing physical discs by 2028 , delivering a huge blow to the concept of game ownership, and the reaction from PlayStation fans seems to be overwhelmingly negative.

The company shared the bombshell news in a PlayStation Blog post, and as of writing, it has over 6,645 comments. The majority of responses are calling for Sony to reverse the decision and arguing that they won't technically own any digital game they purchase come January 2028.

"We literally own nothing now but licenses this is a horrible decision Sony," one user wrote, as another said, "I’m gonna be honest, I will quit buying games. I hope I’m not the only one seeing this trend license purchasing vs game purchasing and it is disturbing that you are ok with this. Or worse, you have many of us convinced it’s OK."

There are also concerns about the lack of options regarding purchasing second-hand games in the future, as well as being unable to resell or trade their titles later on.

Some fans are also considering skipping the PS6 generation altogether if physical discs aren't on the table, with others vowing the PS5 will be their last PlayStation console.

"Looks like this is where my journey ends with PlayStation then, goodbye," commented one fan.

"Well if you want people to stop buying new game systems, this is a choice I guess," a commenter wrote. "But this will mean I will never buy another Playstation as the way digital purchases are handled have shown me that it is a risk to pay a single penny for a digital game as one glitch on Sony’s part can get your account banned, and make you lose out on every digital purchase you have ever made."

Another said: "This is a terrible decision. As a long time PlayStation customer, this will cause me to re-evaluate my console choice for the next generation. Digital-only is not in the best interest of the consumer, and it’s something I am not interested in.

"This, along with the decision to proceed with releasing a “PS6” at a time when components are at record prices, is making this hobby unaffordable for many. You risk killing the industry with these short-sighted decisions rooted in greed."

Following the announcement, analysts have determined that Sony's decision telegraphs that the next-gen PS6 console will launch in late 2028 and "at a minimum" won't feature a disc drive, but an add-on disc drive could be available to play older PS4 and PS5 games

It seems that Microsoft is following a similar all-digital business plan, as new reports have claimed that the company is testing a disc-to-digital feature for existing consoles and could also release a next-gen Project Helix console without a disc drive .