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GRB 250314A Pull-out (Compass NIRCam Image)
This image of supernova GRB 250314A, captured by the James Webb Space Telescope’s Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam), shows compass arrows, scale bar, and color key for reference.
The north and east compass arrows show the orientation of the image on the sky. Note that the relationship between north and east on the sky (as seen from below) is flipped relative to direction arrows on a map of the ground (as seen from above).
The scale bar is labeled in arcseconds, a measure of angular distance on the sky. One arcsecond is equal an angular measurement of 1/3600 of one degree. There are 60 arcminutes in a degree and 60 arcseconds in an arcminute. (The full Moon has an angular diameter of about 30 arcminutes.) The actual size of an object that covers one arcsecond on the sky depends on its distance from the telescope.
This image shows invisible near-infrared wavelengths of light that have been translated into visible-light colors. The color key shows which NIRCam filters were used when collecting the light. The color of each filter name is the visible light color used to represent the infrared light that passes through that filter.
Read a full description of the image.
About the Object
- R.A. PositionR.A. PositionRight ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position.13:25:12.16
- Dec. PositionDec. PositionDeclination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position.-05:16:55.10
- ConstellationConstellationOne of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears.Virgo
- DimensionsDimensionsThe physical size of the object or the apparent angle it subtends on the sky.Image is about 2.3 arcminutes across
About the Data
- Data DescriptionData DescriptionProposal: A description of the observations, their scientific justification, and the links to the data available in the science archive.
Science Team: The astronomers who planned the observations and analyzed the data. "PI" refers to the Principal Investigator.This image was created with Webb data from proposal: 9296 (A. Levan)
- InstrumentInstrumentThe science instrument used to produce the data.NIRCam
- Exposure DatesExposure DatesThe date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time.02 July 2025
- FiltersFiltersThe camera filters that were used in the science observations.F150W, F200W, F277W, F356W, F444W
- Object NameObject NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.GRB 250314A
- Object DescriptionObject DescriptionThe type of astronomical object.Long Gamma-ray burst at z=7
- Release DateDecember 9, 2025
- Science ReleaseNASA’s Webb Identifies Earliest Supernova to Date, Shows Host Galaxy
- CreditImage: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Andrew Levan (Radboud University); Image Processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI)
These images are a composite of separate exposures acquired by the James Webb Space Telescope using the NIRCam instrument. Several filters were used to sample specific wavelength ranges. The color results from assigning different hues (colors) to each monochromatic (grayscale) image associated with an individual filter. In this case, the assigned colors are: Blue= F150W, Green= F200W+277W, Red= F356W+F444W
Related Images & Videos
GRB 250314A Pull-out (NIRCam Image)
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope identified the source of a super bright flash of light known as a gamma-ray burst: a supernova that exploded when the universe was only 730 million years old. Webb’s high-resolution near-infrared images also detected the supernova’s host galaxy.
Supernova GRB 250314A (Artist's Concept)
This two-part illustration represents supernova GRB 250314A as it was exploding and three months after that, when Webb observed it. Webb confirmed the supernova occurred when the universe was only 730 million years old. The star clusters at top-left represent its host galaxy.
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Laura Betz
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
laura.e.betz@nasa.gov
