Pan of HH 797

Using Webb's Near-InfraRed Camera (NIRCam), this picture was taken. Since the youngest stars are almost always still trapped in the gas and dust from which they formed, infrared photography is an effective tool for investigating newborn stars and their outflows. Because the star's outflows emit infrared light that can pass through obscuring gas and dust, Herbig-Haro objects are perfect candidates for Webb's sensitive infrared instruments to observe. Molecular hydrogen and carbon monoxide, among other molecules stimulated by the turbulent circumstances, release infrared light, which Webb may gather to see the outflows' structure. When it comes to observing the extremely hot (thousands of degrees Celsius) molecules that are ignited by shocks, NIRCam excels.

Utilizing observations from ground-based instruments, scientists had previously identified that the cold molecular gas associated with HH 797 exhibited a distinctive spatial distribution. The red-shifted gas, indicating motion away from us, predominated in the southern region (bottom right), while the blue-shifted gas, moving towards us, was primarily situated in the northern area (bottom left). Additionally, a velocity gradient was noted along the outflow, suggesting that, at a given distance from the central star, the eastern edge's gas displayed a more pronounced red-shift compared to the western edge. This phenomenon was originally attributed to the outflow's rotation. However, the higher-resolution image from the Webb telescope reveals that what was initially perceived as a single outflow is, in fact, comprised of two nearly parallel outflows, each possessing its distinct series of shocks, elucidating the observed velocity asymmetries. The source, positioned in the compact dark region near the bottom right of the center, previously recognized from earlier observations, is not a singular star but rather a binary system. Each star independently generates its own remarkable outflow. The image also showcases additional outflows, including one originating from the protostar situated in the top right of the center, along with its illuminated cavity walls.