Inside the Milky Way’s largest star-forming cloud, seen by Webb

Sagittarius B2 is so much more active than the rest of the galactic center.

26 Sep, 2025

Stars, gas and cosmic dust in the Sagittarius B2 molecular cloud glow in near-infrared light, captured by Webb’s NIRCam instrument. The darkest areas of the image are not empty space but are areas where stars are still forming inside dense clouds that block their light. Image: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Adam Ginsburg (University of Florida), Nazar Budaiev (University of Florida), Taehwa Yoo (University of Florida); Image Processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI)

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has captured stunning infrared images of Sagittarius B2, the most massive and active star-forming region in the Milky Way. Located near the galactic center and just a few hundred light-years from the supermassive black hole Sagittarius A*, this region is densely packed with stars, gas, and dust.

Webb’s instruments, MIRI and NIRCam, revealed glowing cosmic dust, young massive stars, and dense clouds that are too thick for even infrared light to penetrate. These dark zones are rich in star-forming material and cradle stars too young to shine.

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