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NASA's Webb Telescope Unveils Apep Star System Mysteries

11/20/2025

Summary

Story summary

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope captured a mid-infrared image of the Apep star system, about 8,000 light-years from Earth, revealing four spiraling dust shells surrounding two Wolf-Rayet stars and a third supergiant.
The Wolf-Rayet stars shed material and dust at speeds of 1,200 to 2,000 miles per second for 700 years.
Researchers aim to determine the system's exact distance from Earth to better understand its dynamics and potential gamma-ray bursts.

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Story summary

NASA's James Webb Space Telescope captured a mid-infrared image of the Apep star system, about 8,000 light-years from Earth, revealing four spiraling dust shells surrounding two Wolf-Rayet stars and a third supergiant.
The Wolf-Rayet stars shed material and dust at speeds of 1,200 to 2,000 miles per second for 700 years.
Researchers aim to determine the system's exact distance from Earth to better understand its dynamics and potential gamma-ray bursts.