NASA HAS RELEASED a spectacular image taken by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to mark one year since it began operations in space.

The space agency revealed the colour image yesterday, which shows the nearest star-forming region to our own, located 390 light-years away, in the Rho Ophiuchi cloud complex.

Around 50 young stars have been captured in the image, with many of them similar in mass to the Sun.

The JWST was launched from French Guiana on Christmas Day 2021 and its first images were released to the public by US president Joe Biden on 12 July last year.

Launch teams monitor countdown to launch of Arianespace Ariane 5 rocket with the NASA James Webb Space Telescope onboard on 25 Dec, 2021. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

This included Webb’s First Deep Field, which showed galaxy cluster SMACS 0723 in sharp detail and was heralded as the “deepest” and most detailed picture of the cosmos to date.

Nasa administrator Bill Nelson said: “In just one year, the James Webb Space Telescope has transformed humanity’s view of the cosmos, peering into dust clouds and seeing light from faraway corners of the universe for the very first time.

“Every new image is a new discovery, empowering scientists around the globe to ask and answer questions they once could never dream of.”

Klaus Pontoppidan, Webb project scientist at the Space Telescope Science Institute, said: “Webb’s image of Rho Ophiuchi allows us to witness a very brief period in the stellar lifecycle with new clarity.

“Our own Sun experienced a phase like this, long ago, and now we have the technology to see the beginning of another star’s story.”