The Webb Space Telescope Captures a Familiar Object in a New Light

A Precise Image of a Protoplanetary Disk

The Webb Space Telescope is tasked with capturing the cosmos at infrared and near-infrared wavelengths, making it unsurprising when it captures a familiar object in an entirely new way. Such a visually striking image showcases the telescope’s precision and capabilities.

Hunting for Infrared Gems: An Edge-On Protoplanetary Disk

Webb imaged an edge-on protoplanetary disk with unerring accuracy, capturing the object’s wind and jets. This image is part of a NASA-led program investigating how dust evolves in protoplanetary disks. The observed object, HH 30, is a Herbig-Haro object dubbed HH 30, which is comprised of glowing regions containing newborn stars. These protostars expel jets of gas and wind, or "farting babies," in a process scientists are eager to study.

Expanding Our Knowledge of the Milky Way

Seen edge-on, the protoplanetary disk provides insight into the movement of gas and dust away from the nascent star at the object’s center. Edge-on views often present a fresh perspective on familiar objects. The Gaia spacecraft, for instance, conducted over three trillion observations to create a precise edge-on view of the Milky Way galaxy and promptly retired after completing its mission.

A New Perspective on HH 30

The Hubble Space Telescope previously imaged the disk, but not with the same resolution or wavelength as Webb. Despite its limitations, Hubble continues to serve a crucial function in imaging the cosmos across various wavelengths. Webb, however, represents a significant upgrade, as it excels at imaging in infrared, near-infrared, and mid-infrared light.

A Multi-Faceted View of HH 30

Webb observed HH 30 in various wavelengths, resulting in different images of the object. The infrared image, provided above, showcases the disk’s structure, with gas and dust flowing away from the central star. A reddish line, visible in the image, appears as a thin band of dust separating the luminous blue-green sections of the object. The disk’s interaction with the surrounding gas and dust gives rise to breathtakingly detailed images.

Unraveling the Mysteries of Planetary Formation

Images like this provide scientists with a deeper understanding of the extreme environment surrounding young stars, where planets are born. As the Webb Space Telescope continues to study such objects, researchers will gain insight into the formation of exoplanets, ultimately shedding light on the intricate processes that led to the creation of our own solar system, including our home planet.

Figure 1: HH 30 as seen by Hubble

Figure 2: The Many Faces of HH 30: Webb, Hubble, and ALMA