Get ready to revisit the Cat’s Paw Nebula in a whole new light. On its third anniversary, the James Webb Space Telescope delivers a jaw-dropping infrared portrait that feels both familiar and astonishingly fresh. Webb’s view pierces through dusty veils to expose the fiery handiwork of newborn giants—an image as much a scientific tool as a cosmic work of art.
This zoomed-in video shows the location of the Cat’s Paw Nebula in the sky. It begins with a ground-based photo taken by the late astrophotographer Akira Fujii, then features images from the Digitized Sky Survey. The video then focuses on a portion of the sky to reveal an image of the Cat’s Paw Nebula taken by the European Southern Observatory (ESO) in visible light. The video continues by zooming in on a section of the Cat’s Paw, then gradually transitions to the stunning image taken by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope in near-infrared light. © Video: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Danielle Kirshenblat (STScI) Thanks to: VISTA, Akira Fujii, DSS
NGC 6334, a Laboratory for Understanding Star Birth
Located 4,000 light-years away in the Scorpius constellation, NGC 6334—aka the Cat’s Paw Nebula—has served as a stellar nursery for half a billion years. Webb’s infrared resolution uncovers how gravity fragments a cold molecular cloud into dense clumps where massive stars ignite. These newborns, some with masses ten times that of our Sun, carve cavities in the gas with their fierce winds and heat, setting the stage for the next generation of suns.
Near-infrared observation of the Cat’s Paw Nebula by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope. © NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI.
A Transient Nebula
This false-color image highlights shockwaves of ultraviolet radiation blasting through the nebula’s core, causing filaments to glow electric blue. But this is a fleeting chapter: massive stars burn hot and fast, and their intense energy will eventually disperse the surrounding gas, halting further star formation. Webb’s snapshot captures that critical moment when creation and destruction dance side by side across cosmic time.
In three short years, Webb has rewritten our understanding of how galaxies evolve, how exoplanets breathe, and now, how stars take their first precious breaths. This image of NGC 6334 stands as a testament to humanity’s quest to see deeper, reach farther, and marvel at the universe’s untamed beauty.
This video explores a subset of structures in a section of the Cat’s Paw Nebula, a massive local star-forming region located about 4,000 light-years away in the constellation Scorpius. © Producers: Greg Bacon (STScI), Frank Summers (STScI); Image Processing: Joe DePasquale (STScI); Music: Joe DePasquale (STScI); Designers: Ralf Crawford (STScI), Leah Hustak (STScI), Christian Nieves (STScI), Alyssa Pagan (STScI); Images: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI; ESO/Vista
Laurent Sacco
Journalist
Born in Vichy in 1969, I grew up during the Apollo era, inspired by space exploration, nuclear energy, and major scientific discoveries. Early on, I developed a passion for quantum physics, relativity, and epistemology, influenced by thinkers like Russell, Popper, and Teilhard de Chardin, as well as scientists such as Paul Davies and Haroun Tazieff.
I studied particle physics at Blaise-Pascal University in Clermont-Ferrand, with a parallel interest in geosciences and paleontology, where I later worked on fossil reconstructions. Curious and multidisciplinary, I joined Futura to write about quantum theory, black holes, cosmology, and astrophysics, while continuing to explore topics like exobiology, volcanology, mathematics, and energy issues.
I’ve interviewed renowned scientists such as Françoise Combes, Abhay Ashtekar, and Aurélien Barrau, and completed advanced courses in astrophysics at the Paris and Côte d’Azur Observatories. Since 2024, I’ve served on the scientific committee of the Cosmos prize. I also remain deeply connected to the Russian and Ukrainian scientific traditions, which shaped my early academic learning.
