The darkest areas are the densest, where thick dust cocoons still-forming protostars, they write.

The red streams that cross the picture are jets of molecular hydrogen.

It is the only star in the image that is significantly more massive than the Sun, they add.

Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex as seen by the James Webb Space Telescope

Photo: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Klaus Pontoppidan (STScI)

The image also features stars with tell-tale shadows indicating the presence of protoplanetary disks.

Meaning they are potential future planetary systems in the making.

Zoom in the S1 star in the Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex.

Detail of S1 of the Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex as seen by the James Webb Space Telescope

Zoom in the S1 star in the Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex. Photo: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Klaus Pontoppidan (STScI)