Webb Telescope Reveals Hidden Stars and Protostars in NGC 7129
NASA's James Webb Space Telescope captured a new infrared image of the NGC 7129 stellar nursery, unveiling stars and protostars previously hidden by dust.
The story in focus
NASA's Webb telescope captured a new infrared image of the NGC 7129 stellar nursery, about 3,300 light-years away, revealing stars and protostars previously hidden by dust. The image shows outflows and shocks from young stars shaping the surrounding gas.
- Webb's infrared sensitivity allowed astronomers to peer through dust in NGC 7129 and study stars at different stages of development.
- The central star, LkH(alpha) 234, is a pre-main-sequence star with about 5 to 8 times the Sun's mass.
- Protostars in the region eject outflows that create shocks, contributing to the nebula's chaotic appearance.
Piercing the Dust
A new image from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope shows the stellar nursery NGC 7129, located roughly 3,300 light-years from Earth. The region had been largely obscured by dust, but Webb's infrared sensitivity revealed numerous stars and protostars that were previously hidden. The image builds on earlier observations by NASA's retired Spitzer Space Telescope, offering higher spatial resolution and more detailed structures in the gas and dust.
Stars in the Making
The central, most massive star in the image is LkH(alpha) 234, a pre-main-sequence star weighing about 5 to 8 times the Sun's mass. To its left, a golden cavity spanning about 3.5 light-years was carved by outflows from an earlier stage of the star's life. The outflows and starlight energize the surrounding hydrogen gas, causing it to glow. Some of the gas is blown away, while some is compressed, creating conditions for further star formation.
To the right of the central star, red clumps hide younger protostars. As these objects accumulate mass, they eject superheated material that interacts with surrounding dust, producing shocks and a textured appearance. Multiple overlapping outflows from several stars contribute to the region's chaotic look.
Shaping the Nebula
The combined light from the central and embedded stars creates a sharp ridge at the top of the golden cavity. This boundary, known as a photodissociation region, is where hydrogen molecules break apart into atoms. Astronomers will continue to use Webb data to study how the stars and protostars influence the temperature and chemistry of the surrounding gas and dust, and how the molecular clouds may erode over millions of years.
What is the mass of the central star in the new Webb image of NGC 7129?
The central star, LkH(alpha) 234, is a pre-main-sequence star estimated to weigh around 5 to 8 times the mass of the Sun.
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