How Can Infrared Light See Through Cosmic Dust?

How can scientists see into cloudy and dusty regions of space where stars form? They study a different kind of light — infrared — to learn about these sites.

Production Details

All images, illustrations, and videos courtesy of NASA and STScI except:

• Webb telescope animation courtesy of NASA, SkyWorks Digital, Northrop Grumman, STScI 

The science operations for NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, developed in partnership with the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency, are conducted by AURA’s Space Telescope Science Institute.

Many thanks to Greg Bacon, John Godfrey, Hussein Jirdeh, Jason Kalirai, Brandon Lawton, Alexandra Lockwood, Marc Lussier, Charlie McWade, Bonnie Meinke, Joseph Olmsted, Roy Renza, Denise Smith, and Frank Summers.