NASA releases sharpest images of Horsehead Nebula to date

NASA released high-resolution images of the Horsehead Nebula that were taken by the James Webb Space Telescope on Monday.

The telescope produced sharp infrared images of the “horse’s mane,” or the top, of the famous nebula, otherwise known as Barnard 33. The nebula is named after astronomer E. E. Barnard, who first discovered Barnard’s Star in 1916. Barnard’s Star is notable because it lies within six lightyears of Earth, making it one of the closest star systems, and many subsequent astral bodies have been named after Barnard.