Uncovering the true nature of the cosmic tornado with NASA’s Webb Telescope

If you’re in the mood for a cosmic treat, the stunning alignment of Herbig-Haro 49/50-an energetic outflow from a forming star-and a vibrant spiral galaxy might be just what you need. This breathtaking composite image, created using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) and MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument), presents an intricate view of this dynamic celestial phenomenon.

Herbig-Haro objects are jets of material ejected from young stars, carving through surrounding gas clouds at incredible speeds. These outflows extend for light-years, creating shock waves that heat the material they collide with, causing it to glow in visible and infrared wavelengths. In 2006, NASA’s now-retired Spitzer Space Telescope captured an image of HH 49/50, nicknaming it the “Cosmic Tornado” due to its twisted appearance. However, Spitzer’s resolution left some mysteries unresolved, including the identity of a hazy object at the tip of the outflow. Webb’s powerful imaging has since revealed this object to be a distant spiral galaxy while also exposing intricate details of the outflow’s structure.

HH 49/50 is part of the Chamaeleon I Cloud complex, a star-forming region in our Milky Way that is producing numerous low-mass stars similar to the Sun. Observations indicate that the outflow is moving at speeds between 100 and 300 kilometers per second (60-190 miles per second) and is just one component of a larger system. Using Webb’s advanced infrared capabilities, astronomers have mapped glowing hydrogen and carbon monoxide molecules, as well as energized dust grains, which appear in shades of orange and red in the image. These observations provide new insights into how the jet interacts with its surroundings.

The arc-like structures in HH 49/50 resemble ripples created by a boat speeding across water, pointing back toward the outflow’s origin. Scientists believe a protostar called Cederblad 110 IRS4, situated about 1.5 light-years away, is likely responsible for this jet activity. As a Class I protostar, it is still gathering mass and is enveloped by a disk of material. Recent Webb observations have allowed scientists to analyze the icy composition of this protostar’s environment, offering clues about the conditions that shape young stars.

Interestingly, not all arcs in HH 49/50 align perfectly with the main outflow. One distinct feature, seen at the top right of the structure, may be the result of another outflow overlapping the scene or a fragmentation of the primary jet.

The spiral galaxy appearing coincidentally at the tip of HH 49/50 is a distant, face-on barred spiral with a prominent central bulge of older stars, depicted in blue. The reddish clumps within its arms highlight areas of warm dust and active star formation, with evacuated bubbles forming in its dusty regions, similar to other galaxies studied through Webb’s PHANGS program.

This extraordinary alignment, purely a stroke of cosmic luck, won’t last forever. Over millennia, HH 49/50’s outflow will expand, gradually covering more of the background galaxy. Located roughly 625 light-years from Earth in the constellation Chamaeleon, Herbig-Haro 49/50 remains a fascinating window into the dynamic processes shaping young stars and galaxies across the universe.