Rho Ophiuchi Cloud Complex - James Webb NIRCam Pillar Candle

A gorgeous pillar candle showing the Rho Ophiuchi Cloud Complex taken by the Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. The Rho Ophiuchi Cloud Complex is the closest star-forming region to Earth. It's a relatively small, quiet stellar nursery, but you’d never know it from Webb’s chaotic close-up. Jets bursting from young stars crisscross the image, impacting the surrounding interstellar gas and lighting up molecular hydrogen, shown in red. Image credit: NASA and STScI, unique color processing: Highton Ridley