The Orion nebula is one of the closest star-forming regions visible to the naked eye.

Released: James Webb Image

Credits: Getty Images

It sits amidst the stars of the Orion constellation about 1300 light years away.

Credits: Getty Images

The nebula was officially discovered in 1610 and is one of the most extensively studied regions of the night sky.

Credits: Getty Images

Now, the most powerful space telescope ever built has given us a new gaze into the heart of the Orion nebula.

Credits: Getty Images

The new James Webb images of the nebula are the sharpest we have seen yet.

Credits: Getty Images

One can see numerous spectacular structures, down to the scale of 40 astronomical units, or the size of our solar system.

Credits: Getty Images

The process of star formation is complex, and there are many things we don't know about it so far.

Baby stars are born from dense clumps in clouds of dust and gas that collapse under gravity and start accumulating material from the cloud around them, forming a disk as the star spins.

Nearly 180 objects, called proplyds, have been found in the Orion nebula.

These filamentary structures may promote a new generation of stars in the deeper regions of the cloud of dust and gas.