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Actively Forming Star System Lynds 483 (NIRCam Image)

At the center is a thin vertical cloud known as Lynds 483 (L483) that is roughly shaped like an hourglass with irregular edges. The lower lobe is slightly cut off. The top lobe is seen in full, petering out at the top.

Shimmering ejections emitted by two actively forming stars make up Lynds 483 (L483). High-resolution near-infrared light captured by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope shows incredible new detail and structure within these lobes, including asymmetrical lines that appear to run into one another. L483 is 650 light-years away in the constellation Serpens.

About the Object

  • R.A. Position
    R.A. PositionRight ascension – analogous to longitude – is one component of an object's position.
    18:17:31.09
  • Dec. Position
    Dec. PositionDeclination – analogous to latitude – is one component of an object's position.
    -04:39:47.10
  • Constellation
    ConstellationOne of 88 recognized regions of the celestial sphere in which the object appears.
    Serpens
  • Distance
    DistanceThe physical distance from Earth to the astronomical object. Distances within our solar system are usually measured in Astronomical Units (AU). Distances between stars are usually measured in light-years. Interstellar distances can also be measured in parsecs.
    About 650 light-years
  • Dimensions
    DimensionsThe physical size of the object or the apparent angle it subtends on the sky.
    Image is about 2.2 arcmin across (0.4 light-years)

About the Data

  • Data Description
    Data DescriptionProposal: A description of the observations, their scientific justification, and the links to the data available in the science archive.
    Science Team: The astronomers who planned the observations and analyzed the data. "PI" refers to the Principal Investigator.

    This image was created with Webb data from proposal: 6785 (M. Garcia Marin). Image processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI).

     

  • Instrument
    InstrumentThe science instrument used to produce the data.
    NIRCam
  • Exposure Dates
    Exposure DatesThe date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time.
    15 Sept 2024
  • Filters
    FiltersThe camera filters that were used in the science observations.
    F115W, F200W, F335M, F444W, F470N
  • Object Name
    Object NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.
    Lynds 483
  • Object Description
    Object DescriptionThe type of astronomical object.
    Young protostar and its outflows
  • Release Date
    March 7, 2025
  • Science Release
    NASA Webb Wows With Incredible Detail in Actively Forming Star System
    Read the release
  • Credit
    Image: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI

Downloads

  • Full Res (For Print), 4328 × 4581
    tif (30.97 MB)
  • Full Res (For Display), 4328 × 4581
    png (25.07 MB)
  • 1890 × 2000
    png (4.85 MB)
At the center is a thin vertical cloud known as Lynds 483 (L483) that is roughly shaped like an hourglass with irregular edges. The lower lobe is slightly cut off. The top lobe is seen in full, petering out at the top.
Color Info
Color InfoA brief description of the methods used to convert telescope data into the color image being presented.

This image is a composite of separate exposures acquired by the James Webb Space Telescope using the NIRCam instrument. Several filters were used to sample specific wavelength ranges. The color results from assigning different hues (colors) to each monochromatic (grayscale) image associated with an individual filter. In this case, the assigned colors are:    Blue= F150W, Blue= 200W, Green/Cyan= F335M, Yellow= F444W, Red= F470N

Compass and Scale
Compass and ScaleAn astronomical image with a scale that shows how large an object is on the sky, a compass that shows how the object is oriented on the sky, and the filters with which the image was made.

Related Images & Videos

A graphic labeled “James Webb Space Telescope, Lynds 483.” In the center is a thin vertical cloud known as Lynds 483 (L483) that is roughly shaped like an hourglass with irregular edges.

Lynds 483 (NIRCam Compass Image)

This image of protostar Lynds 483 (L483), captured by the James Webb Space Telescope’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera), shows compass arrows, scale bar, and color key for reference. The north and east compass arrows show the orientation of the image on the sky. Note that the...

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Details

Last Updated
Aug 28, 2025
Contact
Media

Laura Betz
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
laura.e.betz@nasa.gov

Image Credit

NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI

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