NASA’s Webb Telescope Just Found Bacteria-Sized Dust That Could Become New Planets! – The Daily Galaxy –Great Discoveries Channel
The James Webb Space Telescope has captured an awe-inspiring image of a young star, revealing microscopic dust grains that could one day become planets. Explore the chaotic beauty of HH 30 and the secrets it holds about planetary formation.The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has captured a striking image of a young star’s surroundings, revealing microscopic dust grains that could one day become planets. The celestial structure, known as Herbig Haro 30 (HH 30), is a prime example of how stars shape their environments and how planets might emerge from the swirling chaos of space.HH 30, located in the Taurus constellation, is a newborn star just 500,000 years old. At this stage, it remains hidden behind a dense disk of gas and dust, with only the effects of its powerful energy output visible. The star’s intense jets and stellar winds collide with surrounding material, creating shockwaves that heat the gas and dust, causing them to glow.These structures, captured in stunning detail by JWST, serve as valuable markers for astronomers studying planetary formation. The young star’s protoplanetary disk, a ring of dust and debris surrounding it, is a key feature in the birth of new planets. As the dust settles into a thin layer, it undergoes a slow but critical transformation.According to the European Space Agency (ESA), the dust grains observed in HH 30 are astonishingly small—only one millionth of a meter across, roughly the size of a bacterium. Though minuscule, these particles play a massive role in planetary evolution.In the densest regions of the disk, these grains start sticking together, forming larger clumps that eventually become pebbles, then planetary building blocks. Over millions of years, this process can lead to the formation of fully-fledged planets, just like those in our own solar system.One of the most striking features of HH 30 is the presence of a high-speed jet erupting perpendicularly from the center of the disk. This jet is surrounded by a wider cone-shaped outflow, sculpted by the star’s powerful forces.By combining JWST data with observations from ALMA (Atacama Large Millimeter Array) and the Hubble Space Telescope, researchers led by Ryo Tazaki at the University of Tokyo have uncovered additional hidden structures within the disk. Among them is a faint spiral-like feature, similar to those seen in other young planetary systems.The origins of this spiral structure remain a mystery. Scientists suggest it could be caused by a wobbling jet that alters the surrounding dust patterns, creating a dynamic and shifting structure. Another possibility is the presence of a hidden companion star within the disk, exerting gravitational influence on the surrounding material.HH 30 is a high-energy environment where tiny dust grains, powerful jets, and stellar interactions all contribute to the process of planetary formation. With JWST’s infrared capabilities, astronomers can analyze how light passes through different layers of the disk, gaining new insights into the movement of dust grains and their journey toward becoming planets.Comment Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
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Source: https://dailygalaxy.com/2025/03/webb-telescope-bacteria-sized-new-planets/
