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October 20, 2025
ALMA and JWST solve major star formation mystery: Space photo of the week
For the first time ever, astronomers revealed the birthplace of an energetic jet blasted by a newborn star using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile.
**ALMA and JWST Solve Major Star Formation Mystery: Space Photo of the Week**
Astronomers have cracked a significant piece of the star formation puzzle, thanks to a groundbreaking collaboration between the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile and the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). For the first time, scientists have successfully pinpointed the precise origin of a powerful jet emanating from a newly born star, providing unprecedented insights into the chaotic and dynamic processes that shape stellar nurseries.
The energetic jets launched from young stars have long been observed, but their exact source and the mechanisms driving them have remained elusive. These jets play a crucial role in the evolution of protostars and their surrounding environment, influencing the distribution of gas and dust, and ultimately affecting the formation of planetary systems. Understanding their origin is therefore fundamental to comprehending how stars like our Sun come into being.
ALMA, with its remarkable ability to observe the cool gas and dust in star-forming regions, was instrumental in identifying the launchpad of this particular jet. The telescope's high-resolution capabilities allowed astronomers to peer through the dense clouds of gas and dust that typically obscure the birthplaces of stars. By tracing the movements and composition of the material surrounding the protostar, they could pinpoint the precise location where the jet originates.
While ALMA provided the crucial location data, it is anticipated that the James Webb Space Telescope will provide additional data about the composition of the jet.
The discovery marks a significant step forward in our understanding of star formation. By identifying the birthplace of the energetic jet, astronomers can now focus their efforts on unraveling the complex physical processes that drive its formation and propagation. This includes studying the magnetic fields, accretion disks, and other factors that influence the behavior of these powerful outflows.
This breakthrough not only sheds light on the early stages of stellar evolution but also has implications for our understanding of the formation of planetary systems. The jets from young stars can shape the surrounding protoplanetary disk, potentially influencing the distribution of material and the formation of planets. The ability to observe these processes in detail will provide valuable insights into the conditions that give rise to diverse planetary systems throughout the universe. The findings are expected to be published in an upcoming scientific journal, further detailing the observations and their implications for the field of astrophysics.
Astronomers have cracked a significant piece of the star formation puzzle, thanks to a groundbreaking collaboration between the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Chile and the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). For the first time, scientists have successfully pinpointed the precise origin of a powerful jet emanating from a newly born star, providing unprecedented insights into the chaotic and dynamic processes that shape stellar nurseries.
The energetic jets launched from young stars have long been observed, but their exact source and the mechanisms driving them have remained elusive. These jets play a crucial role in the evolution of protostars and their surrounding environment, influencing the distribution of gas and dust, and ultimately affecting the formation of planetary systems. Understanding their origin is therefore fundamental to comprehending how stars like our Sun come into being.
ALMA, with its remarkable ability to observe the cool gas and dust in star-forming regions, was instrumental in identifying the launchpad of this particular jet. The telescope's high-resolution capabilities allowed astronomers to peer through the dense clouds of gas and dust that typically obscure the birthplaces of stars. By tracing the movements and composition of the material surrounding the protostar, they could pinpoint the precise location where the jet originates.
While ALMA provided the crucial location data, it is anticipated that the James Webb Space Telescope will provide additional data about the composition of the jet.
The discovery marks a significant step forward in our understanding of star formation. By identifying the birthplace of the energetic jet, astronomers can now focus their efforts on unraveling the complex physical processes that drive its formation and propagation. This includes studying the magnetic fields, accretion disks, and other factors that influence the behavior of these powerful outflows.
This breakthrough not only sheds light on the early stages of stellar evolution but also has implications for our understanding of the formation of planetary systems. The jets from young stars can shape the surrounding protoplanetary disk, potentially influencing the distribution of material and the formation of planets. The ability to observe these processes in detail will provide valuable insights into the conditions that give rise to diverse planetary systems throughout the universe. The findings are expected to be published in an upcoming scientific journal, further detailing the observations and their implications for the field of astrophysics.
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