Astronomers using the MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) camera aboard the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope have captured a striking new photo of the molecular cloud L1527.
L1527, shown in this image from Webb’s MIRI instrument, is a molecular cloud that harbors the IRAS 04368+2557 protostar. The more diffuse blue light and the filamentary structures in the image come from organic compounds known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), while the red at the center of this image is an energized, thick layer of gases and dust that surrounds the protostar. The region in between, which shows up in white, is a mixture of PAHs, ionized gas, and other molecules. Image credit: NASA / ESA / CSA / STScI.
L1527, also known as LDN 1527, is located approximately 447 light-years away from Earth in the constellation of Taurus.
An infant protostar called IRAS 04368+2557 is embedded within the molecular cloud, which is part of the Taurus star-forming region.
IRAS 04368+2557 is only 100,000 years old — a relatively young stellar body.
Given its age and its brightness in far-infrared light, the star is considered a class 0 protostar, the earliest stage of star formation.
IRAS 04368+2557 hosts an edge-on disk with two misaligned parts.
The inner and outer parts of the disk have slightly different orbital planes, connected at 40 to 60 AU (astronomical units) from the protostar, but the disk has point symmetry with respect to the protostar’s position.
Webb’s previous observation of L1527, with NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera), allowed astronomers to peer into this region and revealed this molecular cloud and protostar in opaque, vibrant colors.
Both NIRCam and MIRI show the effects of outflows, which are emitted in opposite directions along the protostar’s rotation axis as the object consumes gas and dust from the surrounding cloud.
These outflows take the form of bow shocks to the surrounding molecular cloud, which appear as filamentary structures throughout.
They are also responsible for carving the bright hourglass structure within the molecular cloud as they energize, or excite, the surrounding matter and cause the regions above and below it to glow.
“Unlike NIRCam, however, which mostly shows the light that is reflected off dust, MIRI provides a look into how these outflows affect the region’s thickest dust and gases,” the Webb astronomers said in a statement.
“The areas colored here in blue, which encompass most of the hourglass, show mostly carbonaceous molecules known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.”
“The IRAS 04368+2557 protostar itself and the dense blanket of dust and a mixture of gases that surround it are represented in red.”
“In between, MIRI reveals a white region directly above and below the protostar, which doesn’t show as strongly in the NIRCam view.”
“This region is a mixture of hydrocarbons, ionized neon, and thick dust, which shows that the protostar propels this matter quite far away from it as it messily consumes material from its disk.”
“As IRAS 04368+2557 continues to age and release energetic jets, it’ll consume, destroy, and push away much of this molecular cloud, and many of the structures we see here will begin to fade.”
“Eventually, once it finishes gathering mass, this impressive display will end, and the star itself will become more apparent, even to our visible-light telescopes.”
“The combination of analyses from both the near-infrared and mid-infrared views reveals the overall behavior of this system, including how the central protostar is affecting the surrounding region.”
“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.”
Shambhu Kumar is a science communicator, making complex scientific topics accessible to all. His articles explore breakthroughs in various scientific disciplines, from space exploration to cutting-edge research.
