Young Stars, Stellar Jets
Explanation:
High-speed outflows of molecular gas from a pair of actively forming
young stars shine in infrared light, revealing themselves in
this
NIRcam image
from the James Webb Space Telescope.
Cataloged as HH (Herbig-Haro) 46/47, the young stars are
lodged within a dark
nebula
that is largely opaque when viewed in visible light.
The pair lie at the center of the prominent reddish
diffraction
spikes
in the NIRcam image.
Their
energetic
stellar jets
extend for nearly a light-year,
burrowing
into
the dark interstellar material.
A tantalizing object to explore with Webb's infrared capabilities, this
young star system
is relatively nearby,
located only some 1,140 light-years distant in the nautical
constellation Vela.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
