2025 review of LHA 120-N 159 star-forming region
Background on 2025 Hubble and Webb observations of LHA 120-N 159 in the Large Magellanic Cloud.
Background
- LHA 120-N 159 is a star-forming region about 161,000 light-years away in the Large Magellanic Cloud.
- A NASA/ESA James Webb Space Telescope NIRCam image covers about 230 light-years.
- N159 is less than 3 million years old, contains thousands of stars, and is among the youngest star-forming regions in the LMC.
- The western part of N159 has more, tightly grouped young stellar objects and is collapsing toward star formation earlier.
- Observing programme #5114 compares stars at different evolutionary stages, and Webb data can find extremely dim stars below 0.1 solar masses.
What happened
In 2025, Hubble images and James Webb Space Telescope image data from observing programme #5114 were reported in connection with LHA 120-N 159. The Papillon Nebula was previously resolved for the first time in 1999.
What we know
LHA 120-N 159 is a star-forming region 161000 light-years away in the Large Magellanic Cloud, which orbits the Milky Way galaxy. The Large Magellanic Cloud has lower metallicity than the Milky Way galaxy.
N159 is among the youngest star-forming regions in the LMC and contains thousands of stars. It is less than 3000000 years old. The Webb image covers about 230 light-years and was made by the NASA/ESA James Webb Space Telescope using NIRCam.
The Webb image data belong to observing programme #5114, which studies and compares stars at different evolutionary stages. The Papillon Nebula was resolved for the first time in 1999, while the Hubble images are dated 2025.
The western region of N159 contains young stellar objects that are more numerous and more tightly grouped. That part of N159 is collapsing toward star formation at an earlier stage.
H II regions are markers of active star formation; the Tarantula Nebula is an H II region, and N79 is a larger H II region. Space telescopes have closely examined stellar populations, and Webb data can find extremely dim stars below 0.1 solar masses and tell evolved stars apart from young stellar objects.
Why it matters
These observations show that the NASA/ESA James Webb Space Telescope can find very faint stars below 0.1 solar masses and separate evolved stars from young stellar objects. The work is set in the lower-metallicity Large Magellanic Cloud, and observing programme #5114 is designed to compare stars across evolutionary stages.
Sources
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