NASA's Webb Telescope has given us a mesmerizing view: Herbig-Haro 49/50, a dynamic vortex rising from a nearby protostar, crowned by a multi-colored spiral galaxy coincidentally positioned in the background.

Herbig-Haro objects are outflow structures created by powerful jets ejected from young stars. These jets, which can stretch for light-years, hit regions of denser matter, producing shock waves. This process increases the temperature of the material, which then begins to cool, emitting light at visible and infrared wavelengths.

The galaxy incidentally seen at the edge of this cosmic soft fallout is a spiral galaxy, much farther away from us and facing away from us. Its prominent central bulge of old stars is highlighted in blue tones in the image. In addition, the “side lobes” seen in this central bulge provide clues that the galaxy may be a barred spiral. The reddish clusters along the spiral arms indicate regions of hot dust clouds and groups of young stars in formation.

Image description:

This cosmic image is dominated by billowing clouds of orange-red gas, rich in detail. At the edge of the cloud, a spiral galaxy can be seen with an intense blue center that fades outward to blend with the red spiral arms. The black background is speckled with some white stars and smaller, fainter and more detailed galaxies in shades of white and blue.

 

Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI