Astropics_bb posts Westerlund 2 Hubble-JWST image

Astropics_bb posted a side-by-side image of the Westerlund 2 star cluster on X on May 23, pairing a Hubble view with a James Webb Space Telescope view and saying Webb shows different dust structures than Hubble did. The post credited NASA and ESA imagery and had 53 likes as of May 24, according to the social post cited in the source briefing. NASA and ESA have each published official Westerlund 2 imagery and descriptions that match the comparison’s focus on dust, stars and infrared views. (esahubble.org) ### Which object is in the image Astropics_bb shared? Westerlund 2 is a young star cluster in the Milky Way located about 20,000 light-years from Earth in the constellation Carina, according to NASA and ESA. NASA says the cluster contains about 3,000 stars, including some of the galaxy’s hottest, brightest and most massive stars. Gum 29 is the surrounding stellar nursery that frames the cluster in many released images. (science.nasa.gov) NASA says Hubble’s view showed a dense concentration of stars in the central cluster, while ESA’s Webb description says the newer image shows swirls of gas and dust shaped by radiation from the young stars. ### Why do the Hubble and Webb versions look different? Hubble’s 2015 anniversary image combined visible-light data with near-infrared exposures, ESA said when it released the image for Hubble’s 25th year in orbit. (science.nasa.gov) That mix let Hubble pierce some of the dust and reveal the dense star cluster at the center. Webb uses different instruments and longer infrared wavelengths. ESA says the Westerlund 2 Webb image uses data from NIRCam and MIRI, while ESA’s Webb instrument material says mid-infrared light reveals a very different universe from visible light and can make dust stand out. (science.nasa.gov) ESA’s Webb image description says the cluster appears near the top of the frame and the surrounding gas forms sculpted walls and tangled clouds. (esahubble.org) That is consistent with Astropics_bb’s caption that Webb shows dust structures differently from Hubble. ### What does “dust visibility differences” mean here? Dust is a major ingredient in star formation, and different wavelengths emphasize different parts of a nebula. (esa.int) ESA’s Webb materials say MIRI highlights dust, and NASA’s Webb releases on other dusty targets describe mid-infrared observations as especially effective at revealing structure in cooler dust. Hubble’s near-infrared capability can see through some obscuring material, but Webb’s infrared range can separate and highlight structures that are less obvious in Hubble images. (esa.int) NASA’s Hubble page on Westerlund 2 says Hubble pierced the dusty veil around the stellar nursery, while ESA’s Webb page describes walls and clouds of material being pushed and illuminated by the cluster’s radiation. ### Why does Westerlund 2 keep getting reused in telescope comparisons? (esa.int) ESA’s Webb page says Westerlund 2 was also the subject of Hubble’s 25th anniversary image in 2015. That gives image makers and astronomy accounts a clear before-and-after reference point when comparing how different observatories render the same region. The official credits also line up with the social post. ESA’s Hubble release credits NASA, ESA, the Hubble Heritage Team, Antonella Nota and the Westerlund 2 Science Team, while ESA’s newer Webb image is part of the NASA/ESA/CSA Webb image library. (science.nasa.gov) ### Where can readers check the underlying images themselves? NASA Science hosts a Hubble Westerlund 2 page dated April 23, 2015, and ESA/Hubble hosts the anniversary release with full credit information. (esa.int) ESA also hosts a Webb Westerlund 2 image page describing the NIRCam and MIRI data used in the newer view. May 24 is the clearest next step for anyone following the post: compare the official NASA and ESA image pages against Astropics_bb’s side-by-side and the caption’s claim about dust structures. (esahubble.org) Those source pages name the instruments, release dates and image credits used in the comparison. (science.nasa.gov)