JWST captures dust‑shrouded red supergiant in final moments before supernova

The James Webb Space Telescope has produced the most detailed infrared view yet of a red supergiant in the moments before it exploded, revealing a star cloaked in unprecedented layers of cosmic dust. Astronomers call it the "reddest, dustiest" red supergiant observed to undergo a supernova.

Discovered 2025-10-08T06:04:33.729258-07:00 | 2025-10-08T06:04:33.729258-07:00

Briefing

What Hype is tracking

  • Demonstrates JWST's unique infrared sensitivity to penetrate dust and resolve late-stage stellar structure, building on recent JWST MIRI long‑wavelength observations (see JWST MIRI captures red, long‑wavelength view of the universe’s first galaxies: https://hype.aero/?story=cb558697-d456-4b6f-a8c7-fff511c19e73).
  • Provides a direct, time‑domain view of pre‑supernova behaviour that will inform models used by upcoming transient surveys, complementing NASA's Roman Space Telescope core survey plans to detect thousands of supernovae: https://hype.aero/?story=7ada6703-89aa-4ed3-8403-1ad2e88ecb76.
  • Extends JWST's role in studying dust‑obscured star formation and stellar evolution, adding context to its recent findings in dense star‑forming regions: https://hype.aero/?story=2fa7eef8-70f8-4534-beb9-8d3509230cdc.

Reported By

news.ssbcrack.com dailygalaxy.com Live Science newsable.asianetnews.com knowridge.com Science Daily
Sources Tracked
11
First Seen
2025-10-08T06:04:33.729258-07:00
Latest Update
2025-10-14T13:52:43.789121-07:00
Coverage
Space

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