James Webb and Hubble Space Telescopes snap images of sam...

What’s Happening

Let’s talk about The two images of Westerlund 2 show just how far the technology has come.

The post James Webb and Hubble Space Telescopes snap images of same nebula, 10 years apart appeared first on Popular Science. Science Space Deep Space Space Telescope James Webb and Hubble Space Telescopes snap images of same nebula, 10 years apart The two images of Westerlund 2 show just how far the technology has come. (plot twist fr)

By Andrew Paul Published Dec 22, 2025 12:01 PM EST Astronomers are studying the hundreds of young, brown dwarf stars inside the stellar nursery.

The Details

Credit: NASA, ESA, the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA), A. Nota (ESA/STScI), and the Westerlund 2 Science Team, ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, V.

Get the Popular Science daily 💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent every weekday. In 2015, NASA celebrated the Hubble Space Telescope ’s 25th year in orbit of its most stunning images to date—a colorful star cluster in the constellation Carina known as Westerlund 2 .

Why This Matters

But, a lot can change in a decade. In January 2023, the HST’s observational capabilities were overtaken when the powerful James Webb Space Telescope imaged the same star cluster. While the HST is still a powerful piece of equipment, the European Space Agency decided to showcase its heir’s technological leaps 2025 with a new, even more detailed glimpse at Westerlund 2.

Scientists and researchers are watching this development closely.

The Bottom Line

To fully appreciate the difference between what HST and JWST can see of the cosmos, the ESA also uploaded a slider tool to allow viewers to shift between both images of Westerlund 2. While all of the brightest stars are apparent in 2015’s glimpse, the newer look reveals hundreds of additional, dimmer stars in the background.

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