Located around 1,300 light-years from Earth and situated to the south of Orion’s Belt in the night sky, Orion A is one of the largest and closest molecular clouds to our planet. Shaped like a filament, this structure of gas and dust is around 290 light-years long.

Part of the Orion molecular cloud complex, Orion A is a packed stellar nursery, it is estimated that Orion A has given birth to around 3,000 stellar objects.  Every stage of star formation , from the youngest stellar embryos, to protoplanetary discs, to newly-minted pre-main sequence stars  is contained within just this scene, which stretches 150 light-years across.

RAL Space, based at Harwell Campus, was part of a European Consortium that was responsible for the development and launch of the Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI), one of four scientific instruments on board the James Webb Space Telescope, and the instrument responsible for the spectacular images that have been released by NASA.

Webb is the largest, most powerful telescope ever launched into space and these are the most detailed images ever captured of our universe. They have resulted from the culmination of over 20 years hard work and scientific innovation, revealing the power of Webb and showcasing the possibilities for observing and studying the cosmos.

The MIRI development was funded by the UK Space Agency and STFC, with UK Government funding, and ESA.

Image credit:

The James Webb Space Telescope Picture of the Month shows the giant molecular cloud Orion A, an area of the sky replete with star-forming clouds. (Image credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, T. Megeath, M. Zamani (ESA/Webb) Acknowledgement: M. H. Özsaraç)