ALMA and JWST Untangle Stellar Birth Enigma: Weekly Space Image

The couple of energy streams bursting out of the nascent protostar structure HH 211 may unravel a significant puzzle concerning star creation.(Image credit: Lee et al.)Quick facts

What it is: HH 211, a fledgling star releasing enormous energy flows

Where it is: 1,000 light-years distant from Earth within the Perseus constellation.

When it was shared: Sept. 17, 2025

Many occurrences throughout the cosmos are not entirely grasped, and that includes the somewhat straightforward procedure of star origination. Stars materialize within thick masses of frigid gas and particulate matter. When these masses attain a certain critical mass, they implode due to their individual gravitation, precipitating the rise of a nascent star, also called a protostar.

If the accretion plate turns at an excessive rate, the material struggles to gravitate toward the star. Sky watchers surmise that infant stars disperse some material from the accretion plate by means of potent jets — recognized as protostellar jets — which could assist in the action of some substance shifting into the star.

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But the key hurdle in validating this is that these jets emanate from zones extremely proximate to the star, implying the jets cannot be perceived or imaged, even utilizing some of the most robust telescopes. Thus, astronomers are uncertain concerning how they are discharged or from where these jets commence.

Researchers have formerly postulated that the magnetic flux inside the protostellar construct could facilitate the launch of these jets. And a fresh depiction has contributed to shedding understanding on this for the initial occasion.

The consolidated JWST/ALMA depiction of the arrangement (top) contrasted with ALMA’s observations of the budding protostar at the arrangement’s heart (bottom).

In a report issued Aug. 13, in the periodical Scientific Reports, experimenters utilized the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) located in Chile to scrutinize a thing termed HH 211, stationed 1,000 light-years distant in the constellation Perseus. HH 211 constitutes a Herbig-Haro object — a vibrant region of nebulosity fashioned by the potent jets arising from newborn stars. This protostellar construct is merely 35,000 years old, with a diminutive core protostar measuring just 0.06 times the sun’s bulk.

HH 211 showcases a shining bipolar jet — a couple of beams of energized ionized material surfacing in opposing paths. This arrangement is among the scarce recognized cases where a magnetic domain has been perceived, furnishing a distinctive chance to probe the magnetic field-driven ejection prototypes.

The ALMA supervisions of this construct revealed that the jet is racing at velocities approximating 66 miles per second (107 kilometers per second), however fascinatingly, it spins comparatively lethargically, exhibiting a specific angular momentum. This intimates that the bipolar jet has conveyed away surplus rotational energy. By assimilating the retention of angular momentum and energy, the experimenters determined that the jet stems from the extremely innermost verge of the accretion plate, scarcely 0.02 astronomical units, or almost 1.85 million miles (3 million kilometers) distant from the star.

Their conclusions converge with one of the prototypes that elucidates how a magnetic domain can function like a catapult to propel gas externally.

Within the spectacular depiction, the vivid rendering of the bipolar jet is seized by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) within near-infrared wavelengths. Nonetheless, JWST’s vantage point is impeded by the robust particulate matter encompassing the central region.

This covert vicinity is pivotal as it denotes where the jet commences. Through the medium of the fresh investigation, the ALMA data uncovered the crucial slender sector at the heart in the submillimeter wavelengths. The ALMA data is overlaid here alongside the JWST data with the intention of composing a thorough depiction of how new stars originate. The enlarged grayscale image captured by ALMA distinctly portrays the jet being launched from the accretion plate.

This is the inaugural instance that the launch setting of a protostellar jet has been captured. The revelation further validates that these jets assume a pivotal function in the augmentation of nascent stars by eradicating angular momentum from the accretion plate, empowering substance to descend easily onto the star.

For additional superb cosmic depictions, browse our Space Photo of the Week archives.

TOPICSspace photo of the week

Shreejaya KaranthaLive Science contributor

Shreejaya Karantha serves as a science journalist focusing on astronomy, encompassing subjects such as the sun, planetary science, stellar progression, black openings, and primordial universe cosmology. Situated in India, she is employed as an author and exploration specialist at The Secrets of the Universe, where she donates to drafts for research-backed and explainer videos. Shreejaya possesses a bachelor’s degree in science and a master’s degree in physics concentrating on astrophysics.

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