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An arresting protostar hourglass

A protostar within the dark cloud L1527.
A protostar within the dark cloud L1527. Image: SCIENCE: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI IMAGE PROCESSING: Joseph DePasquale (STScI), Alyssa Pagan (STScI), Anton M. Koekemoer (STScI)

In this stunning shot, light breaks forth in an hourglass shape from the dark cloud L1527, about 460 light-years from Earth. The Webb telescope team released this shot back in November. At the core of the hourglass shape—concealed by a thin horizontal line—is a protostar.