Digel Cloud 2S is a prominent star-forming region within the molecular cloud complex known as Digel Cloud 2, located in the Extreme Outer Galaxy region of the Milky Way. This region lies more than 58,000 light-years from the Galactic Center, placing it in one of the most distant and metal-poor parts of our galaxy.
Observation The Digel Clouds (1A, 1B, 2N & 2S) were first identified in molecular surveys in the 1990s, with subsequent studies confirming star formation activity in the Extreme Outer Galaxy. Detailed infrared imaging of Digel Cloud 2S came from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) in 2024 by a team led by astronomers including Natsuko Izumi used JWST's Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) and Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) to capture near and midinfrared light, revealing unprecedented detail invisible to optical telescopes.
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