Скачать или смотреть James Webb View of Hourglass-Shaped Protostar: L1527

A protostar is a very young star that is still gathering mass from its parent molecular cloud.
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has revealed the once-hidden features of the protostar within the dark cloud L1527, providing insight into the beginnings of a new star.
These clouds are only visible in infrared light, making them an ideal target for Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera.
The protostar itself is hidden from view within the “neck” of this hourglass shape.
An edge-on protoplanetary disk is seen as a dark line across the middle of the neck.
It is about the size of our solar system.
The colors themselves are due to layers of dust between Webb and the clouds.
The blue areas are where the dust is thinnest.
The thicker the layer of dust, the less blue light can escape, creating pockets of orange.
As the protostar continues to gather mass, its core gradually compresses and gets closer to stable nuclear fusion.
Protostars like these, which are still wrapped in a dark cloud of dust and gas, have a long way to go before they become full-fledged stars.

Credits: NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI. Image processing: J. DePasquale, A. Pagan, and A. Koekemoer (STScI)

Zoom Into Protostar L1527
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   • Zoom Into Protostar L1527