James Webb Space Telescope spies mysterious high-energy radiation in star nursery

Using the James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers have detected unexpected high-energy ultraviolet radiation around five infant stars, or protostars, in the Ophiuchus star birthing region. The discovery could prompt a change in our models of star formation.

Protostars represent the initial stage of stars' lifetimes following their formation via the collapse of dense patches of gas and dust in molecular clouds. They are still surrounded by envelopes of the material from which they form, and from which they gather mass. This mass-gathering process continues until the protostar is massive enough to trigger the fusion of hydrogen to helium in its core, the process that defines an adult, "main sequence" star.

"We wanted to take a closer look at protostars, young stars that are still forming d