James Webb telescope captures star formation “factory” in fine detail

A three-color image of the W51 protocluster, depicting the infrared range. Credit: Ginsburg & Yoo

Westerhaut 51 is the unassuming name of a vast “star factory” 17,000 light years from Earth. 350 light years across, it contains numerous O-type stars, the rarest on the main sequence: extremely hot, massive, and luminous blue beasts with surface temperature…