Free Astronomy Magazine September-October 2024

A Webb captures celestial fireworks around forming star byNASA/ESA/CSA Matthew Brown ChristinePulliam growing protostar embed- ded within a molecular cloud.Thecenterofthe image shows a bright, red region, where the protostar resides, with a thin, gray lane cutting through it horizontally,whichistheprotostar’s accretiondisk.Aboveandbelow this region are white and blue trian- gular-shaped cavities in the molecu- lar cloud, which give the overall object an hourglass shape. The areas of the cavities closest to the central protostar have more pronouncedplumesofwhitegas and dust that fade to a blue color further from the center. There are red,yellow,orange,blue,andgreen stars and galaxies scattered across the image. The cosmos seems to come alivewith a crackling explosion of py- rotechnics in this new image from NASA’s James Webb Space Tele- scope.TakenwithWebb’sMIRI (Mid- Infrared Instrument), this fiery hourglass marks the scene of a very youngobjectintheprocessofbe- coming a star. A central protostar grows in the neck of the hourglass, accumulating material from a thin protoplanetary disk, seen edge-on as a dark line. Theprotostar,arelativelyyoungob- ject of about 100,000 years, is still surroundedbyitsparentmolecular cloud, or large region of gas and dust. Webb’s previous observation of L1527, with NIRCam (Near-In- fraredCamera),allowedustopeer into this region and revealed this molecular cloud and protostar in opaque, vibrant colors. Both NIRCam and MIRI show the ef- fects of outflows, which are emitted in opposite directions along the protostar’s rotation axis as the ob- ject consumes gas and dust from the surrounding cloud. These outflows take the form of bow shocks to the surrounding molecular cloud, which appear as filamentary structures throughout. They are also responsi- ble for carving the bright hourglass structure within the molecular cloud as they energize, or excite, the sur- ﻣﺠﻠﺔ FreeAstronomy ﺎﻟﻌﺮ ﺔ 40 ﻠﺘﻘﻂ " و ﺐ" ﺗﺪﻓﻘﺎت ﻗﻮ ﺔ ﺣﻮل ﻧ ﻢ ﺘﺸ ﻞ : ﻘﻠﻢ ﺑﻮﻟ ﺎم ﻣﺎﺛﻴﻮ ﺑﺮاون وﻛﺮﺴﺘ و ﺎﻟﺔ ﻧﺎﺳﺎ / و ﺎﻟﺔ اﻟﻔﻀﺎء اﻷوروﺑ ﺔ / و ﺎﻟﺔ اﻟﻔﻀﺎء اﻟﻜﻨﺪ ﺔ ﺃ - ﺳﺒﺘﻤﺒﺮ ﻛﺘﻮﺑﺮ 2 0 2 4 ـﻢ ﻧ أوﱄ ﻣﺘ ﻨـﺎمٍ ﻣﻄﻤـﻮر داﺧـﻞ ﺳـﺤﺎﺑﺔ ﺟﺰﻳﺌﻴـﺔ ﻳ ﻈﻬـﺮ وﺳـﻂ ا ﻟﺼـﻮرة ﻣﻨﻄﻘـﺔ ﺣﻤﺮاء ﺳﺎﻃﻌﺔ ﺣﻴﺚ ﻳﺘﻮاﺟـﺪ اﻟـﻨﺠﻢ اﻷوﱄ ﻣﻊ ﻣﻤﺮ رﻣﺎدي رﻓﻴﻊ ﻳﻘﻄﻌﻬﺎ أﻓﻘﻴ ﺎً وﻫـﻮ اﻟﻘﺮص اﻟﱰاﻛﻤﻲ ﻟﻠﻨ . ﺠﻢ اﻷوﱄ ﻓﻮق وﺗﺤﺖ ﻫﺬه ا ﻨﻄﻘﺔ ﻫﻲ ﺗﺠﺎوﻳﻒ ﺑﻴﻀﺎء وزرﻗـﺎء ﻋ ﲆ ﺷﻜﻞ ﻣﺜﻠﺚ ﰲ اﻟﺴﺤﺎﺑﺔ اﻟﺠﺰﻳﺌﻴﺔ واﻟﺘﻲ ﺗﻌﻄﻲ اﻟﺠﺴﻢ اﻟﻜـﲇ ﺷـﻜﻞ ﻳﺸـﺒﻪ ﺗﻤﺎﻣـﺎ اﻟﺴﺎﻋﺔ اﻟﺮﻣﻠﻴﺔ . ﺗﺤﺘﻮي ﻣﻨﺎﻃﻖ اﻟﺘﺠﺎوﻳﻒ اﻷﻗﺮب إﱃ اﻟﻨﺠﻢ اﻷ وﱄ ا ﺮﻛﺰي ﻋﲆ أﻋﻤﺪة أﻛﺜﺮ وﺿﻮﺣ ﺎً ﻣـﻦ اﻟﻐﺎز اﻷﺑﻴﺾ واﻟﻐﺒﺎر اﻟ ﺬي ﻳﺘﻼﳽ إﱃ اﻟﻠﻮن اﻷزرق ﺑﻌﻴﺪ اً . ﻋﻦ ا ﺮﻛﺰ ﻫﻨﺎك ﻧﺠـﻮم وﻣﺠـﺮات ﺣﻤـﺮاء وﺻـﻔﺮاء وﺑﺮﺗﻘﺎﻟﻴﺔ وزرﻗﺎء وﺧـ ـ ـ ﴬاء ﻣـ ﻨﺘﴩة ﰲ ﺟﻤﻴﻊ أﻧﺤﺎء اﻟﺼﻮرة . ﻳﺒﺪو أن اﻟﻜﻮن ﻳﻨﺒﺾ ﺑﺎﻟﺤﻴﺎة ﻣﻊ اﻧﻔﺠـﺎر ﻣﺪو ﻣﻦ اﻷﻟﻌﺎب اﻟﻨﺎرﻳـﺔ اﻟﻜﻮﻧﻴـﺔ ﻫـﺬه ﰲ اﻟﺼﻮرة اﻟﺠﺪﻳﺪة ﺑﻮاﺳﻄﺔ ﺗﻠﺴﻜﻮبﺟﻴﻤﺲ وﻳﺐ ا ﻟﻔﻀﺎﺋﻲ اﻟﺘﺎﺑﻊ ﻟ ﻮﻛﺎﻟﺔ . ﻧﺎﺳﺎ ﺗﻤﺜﻞ ﻫﺬه اﻟﺴﺎﻋﺔ اﻟﺮﻣﻠﻴﺔ اﻟﻨﺎرﻳﺔ ا ﻠﺘﻘﻄﺔ ﺑﺎﺳ ـﺘﺨﺪام أدا ة اﻷﺷ ـﻌﺔ ﺗﺤ ـﺖ اﻟﺤﻤ ـﺮاء ا ﺘﻮﺳﻄﺔ ﻟﺘﻠﺴﻜﻮب وﻳﺐ ﻣﺸـﻬﺪ اً ﻟﺠﺴـﻢ اً ﺻﻐ ﺟﺪ ﰲ ﻃﻮر اﻟﺘﺤﻮل إﱃ ﻧﺠﻢ . ﻻ ﻳﺰال اﻟﻨﺠﻢ اﻷوﱄ وﻫﻮ ﺟﺴﻢ ﻓﺘﻲ ﻧﺴـﺒﻴﺎً ﻋﻤﺮه ﻧﺤﻮ 100 أﻟﻒ ﺳﻨﺔ ﻣﺤﺎﻃﺎ ﺑﺴﺤﺎﺑﺘﻪ اﻟﺠﺰﻳﺌﻴﺔ اﻷم أ و ﺑﻤﻨﻄﻘﺔ ﻛﺒ ة ﻣـﻦ اﻟﻐـﺎز واﻟﻐﺒﺎر وﻗﺪ أﺗﺎﺣﺖ ﻣﺮاﻗﺒﺔ ﺗﻠﺴﻜﻮب وﻳـﺐ اﻟﺴـﺎﺑﻘﺔ ﻟﻠـﻨﺠﻢ اﻷوﱄ L1527 ﺑﺎﺳـﺘﺨﺪام ) ﻛﺎﻣ ا ﻧ ﻛـﺎم ﻟ ( ﻸﺷـﻌﺔ ﺗﺤـﺖ اﻟﺤﻤـﺮاء اﻟﻘﺮﻳﺒـﺔ دﺧـﻮل اﻟﻐﺒـﺎر إﱃ ﻫـﺬه ا ﻨﻄﻘـﺔ وﻛﺸــﻔﺖ ﻋـﻦ ﻫـﺬه اﻟﺴـﺤﺎﺑﺔ اﻟﺠﺰﻳﺌﻴـﺔ واﻟــﻨﺠﻢ اﻷوﱄ ﺑــﺄﻟﻮان ﻣﻌﺘﻤــﺔ وﻧﺎﺑﻀــﺔ ﺑﺎﻟﺤﻴﺎة ﰲ ﻏﺎﻳﺔ اﻟﺠﻤﺎل . ﺗ ﻈﻬــﺮ اﻟﻜــﺎﻣ ات ﻓﺎﺋﻘــﺔ اﻟﺤﺴﺎﺳــﻴﺔ ﻧ ﻛﺎم ) ( ﻣ ي )و ( ﻋـﲆ ﺗﻠﺴـﻜﻮب وﻳـﺐ ﺗﺄﺛ ات اﻟﺘﺪﻓﻘﺎت ا ﻨﺪﻓﻌـﺔ ﻧﺤـﻮ اﻟﺨـﺎرج و اﻟﺘﻲ ﺗﻨﺒﻌﺚ ﰲ اﺗﺠﺎﻫ ﻣﺘﻌﺎﻛﺴـ ﻋـﲆ ﻃ ـ ﻮل ﻣﺤــﻮر دوران اﻟ ـﻨﺠﻢ اﻷوﱄ ﺣﻴ ـﺚ ﻳﺴﺘﻬﻠﻚ اﻟﺠﺴﻢ اﻟﻐﺎز واﻟﻐﺒﺎر ﻣﻦ اﻟﺴﺤﺎﺑﺔ ا ﺤﻴﻄﺔ . ﺗﺄﺧﺬ ﻫـﺬه اﻟﺘـﺪﻓﻘﺎت اﻟﺨﺎرﺟﻴـﺔ ﺷﻜﻞ ﺻﺪﻣﺎت اﻟﻘﻮس ﻟﻠﺴﺤﺎﺑﺔ اﻟﺠﺰﻳﺌﻴـﺔ ا ﺤﻴﻄﺔ واﻟﺘﻲ ﺗﻈﻬـﺮ ﻋـﲆ ﺷـﻜﻞ ﻫﻴﺎﻛـﻞ ﺧﻴﻄﻴﺔ ﰲ ﻛﻞ ﻣﻜﺎن . ﻛﻤﺎ أﻧﻬﺎ ﻣﺴﺌﻮﻟﺔ ﻋـﻦ ﻧﺤﺖ ﺑﻨﻴﺔ اﻟﺴﺎﻋﺔ اﻟﺮﻣﻠﻴ ﺔ اﻟﻼﻣﻌـﺔ داﺧـﻞ اﻟﺴﺤﺎﺑﺔ اﻟﺠﺰﻳﺌﻴﺔ ﺣﻴﺚ إﻧﻬﺎ ﺗﻨﺸﻂ أو ﺗﺜ ا ﺎدة ا ﺤﻴﻄﺔ و ﺑﺎﻟﺘـﺎﱄ ﺗﺘﺴـﺒﺐ ﰲ ﺗـﻮﻫﺞ ا ﻨﺎﻃﻖ ا ﻮﺟﻮدة ﻓﻮﻗﻬﺎ وﺗﺤﺘﻬﺎ .