images

Herbig-Haro objects in IC 348

by

ESA/NASA/CSA/Novapix

Reference

a-eto50-00100

HD size

84 × 48 cm at 300 dpi (W × H)

Date

2026-10-26

This image from the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope shows stars and protostars in the vicinity of the star cluster IC 348. The long, narrow object that is oriented horizontally on the left side of this image is HH 797.This source is revealed to be two protostars with nearly parallel outflows. To the right and oriented diagonally is the propeller-shaped source HH 211, which features both narrow jets and broader outflows. The glowing orange area directly above HH 797, named LLRL 54361, is thought to host two further protostars. A number of other more- and less-embedded protostars lurk in this nebula, contributing to the edges and wave-like patterns in the clouds, as well as further spectacular glowing outflows. The wispy curtains in the bottom left of the image are interstellar material reflecting the light from the cluster’s stars — what is known as a reflection nebula. The material also includes carbon-containing molecules known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, or PAHs.  Most of the image is covered by blue gas, with brighter areas, denser clouds and dark gaps; the bottom-left corner contains greenish-yellow gas.
Herbig-Haro objects, are created by stellar winds or jets from protostars plowing into the thick clouds around them.