It’s always darkest before the dawn.⁣ ⁣ This image from our James Webb Space Telescope shows N79, a massive star-forming region within the Large Magellanic Cloud (a satellite galaxy of the Milky Way). At mid-infrared wavelengths, Webb reveals glowing gas and dust deep within the clouds, as well as embedded baby stars.⁣ ⁣ N79 produces stars at a furious rate, much faster than star-forming regions found in our own galaxy. In fact, N79’s chemical composition is similar to those from the early universe, when star formation was at its peak.⁣ Here, those vivid rays resembling sunlight are actually diffraction spikes for a bright star. Most noticeable for bright, compact objects, diffraction spikes are somewhat like a telescope’s “signature.” The eight-point pattern is the result of the telescope’s hexagonal mirror design, combined with its secondary mirror struts. Meanwhile, our Hubble Space Telescope produces a four-pointed diffraction spike pattern due to its circular mirror.⁣ ⁣ Learn mor...