Produced by: Manoj Kumar
A young star’s dramatic formation has been revealed in stunning clarity, as the James Webb Space Telescope captures the dynamic HH 30 system in the Taurus Molecular Cloud.
Credit : ESA and NASA
Herbig-Haro objects like HH 30 form when newborn stars eject jets of gas at high speeds, slamming into surrounding dust and gas to create luminous shockwaves.
Credit : ESA and NASA
HH 30 is a rare edge-on protoplanetary disk, offering astronomers a unique perspective to study dust movement and planet formation with unprecedented precision.
Credit : ESA and NASA
By combining data from Webb, Hubble, and ALMA, scientists have mapped HH 30 across multiple wavelengths, revealing how dust grains behave within the swirling disk.
Credit : ESA and NASA
ALMA traced millimeter-sized dust grains clustering in the disk’s center, while Webb’s infrared view exposed tiny, bacteria-sized grains scattered throughout the region.
Credit : ESA and NASA
According to research led by astronomers François Ménard and Karl Stapelfeldt, large dust grains migrate and settle into dense layers—crucial steps in planet formation.
Credit : ESA and NASA
A powerful jet of gas shoots perpendicularly from HH 30’s disk, forming a high-speed outflow that fuels its surrounding nebula, shaping the young star’s turbulent environment.
Credit : ESA and NASA
As dust clumps together in HH 30’s disk, pebbles begin forming, marking the first stages of planet creation in this celestial laboratory of cosmic evolution.
Credit : ESA and NASA
These observations set the stage for deeper studies into how planetary systems emerge, with Webb and future telescopes poised to uncover even more cosmic secrets.