A stunning new image from the James Webb Space Telescope showcases a young star, a protostar named L1527, and the vast outflows of dust and gas it expels as it consumes material from its surrounding cloud. Located approximately 460 light-years away from Earth in the constellation Taurus, this protostar has been observed by two of Webb’s instruments: its NIRCam camera in the near-infrared, and now its MIRI instrument in the mid-infrared.
Peering into the infrared portion of the electromagnetic spectrum allows researchers to pierce through dust clouds that are opaque in visible light, revealing the inner structures of such clouds, including L1527. This image highlights interior structures called filaments, composed of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which serve as markers for star formation. The glowing red center of the image reveals the hot gas and dust surrounding the protostar, from which it draws material to grow larger.
The NIRCam image presents a different perspective because it primarily captures light reflected off dust, while the MIRI image showcases the densest pockets of dust. The MIRI image reveals a region in white that is less visible in the NIRCam image, a mixture of PAHs, ionized gas, and other materials.
“The combination of analyses from both the near-infrared and mid-infrared views reveal the overall behavior of this system, including how the central protostar is affecting the surrounding region,” Webb scientists explain. “Other stars in Taurus, the star-forming region where L1527 resides, are forming just like this, which could lead to other molecular clouds being disrupted and either preventing new stars from forming or catalyzing their development.”
This mesmerizing sight, however, won’t endure forever. Over time, the protostar will continue to devour more material and push away the remnants of its molecular cloud. It will then evolve into a true star, becoming visible in the visible light wavelength as well.
