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Protostar L1527
Feeding a future sun?
Some say stars are born, not made – and while that may apply to showbiz, in space it's a bit more complicated. Star formation is a long process of accumulating material bit by bit, condensing molecular clouds into extremely dense clumps that finally collapse into a protostar. This near-infrared image from the James Webb Space Telescope is centred on protostar L1527, showing the nebulous matter it's drawing in from multiple directions via gravity – "feeding" on the gases and dust to grow larger. You may need to squint to see it, but that darker line bisecting the brightest point of the protostar is a protoplanetary disk – a ring of orbiting matter that could be the beginnings of a new planetary system.
Feeding a future sun?
Some say stars are born, not made – and while that may apply to showbiz, in space it's a bit more complicated. Star formation is a long process of accumulating material bit by bit, condensing molecular clouds into extremely dense clumps that finally collapse into a protostar. This near-infrared image from the James Webb Space Telescope is centred on protostar L1527, showing the nebulous matter it's drawing in from multiple directions via gravity – "feeding" on the gases and dust to grow larger. You may need to squint to see it, but that darker line bisecting the brightest point of the protostar is a protoplanetary disk – a ring of orbiting matter that could be the beginnings of a new planetary system.
© NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI 2026-09-11 08:45:52 :