Space - Star IRS 3: dust and water beside a black hole
Space · 0:38
Just 0.55 light-years from Sagittarius A*, the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way, sits an evolved star named IRS 3. Using the James Webb Space Telescope's Near-Infrared Camera, astronomers discovered that dust and water can surprisingly form and survive this close to the black hole. Despite the intense radiation permeating the galactic center, IRS 3 continues to enrich its immediate surroundings with newly formed material, offering fresh insight into extreme stellar survival.
Source: ESA/Webb
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