INFRARED IMAGES, 1.3 MM CONTINUUM AND AMMONIA LINE OBSERVATIONS OF IRAS 08076-3556

We present J, H, K, and L' broad-band images, 1.3 mm continuum photome try and ammonia line observations of IRAS 08076-3556, the energy sourc e of the Herbig-Haro object HH120. Nebulosity is detected in the J, H, and K bands; K and L' images show clearly the embedded young star coi ncident with the IRAS position. The energy distribution of the embedde d object places it among the very young Class I sources. The ratio bet ween the 1.3 mm luminosity and the bolometric luminosity is much highe r than for typical Class I sources, and similar to that of the extreme ly young ''Class 0'' sources. The strong 1.3 mm emission is probably d ue to a circumstellar dust disk with T-d = 20 K and M(d) = 7 10(-2) M( circle dot) . The observed infrared nebulosity is most likely due to s cattering of radiation from the HH120 exciting source by the dust asso ciated with mass outflow escaping through the poles of this circumstel lar disk. Finally, IRAS 08076-3556 appears embedded in a high density core, detected through our NH3 observations, with a linear size less t han or similar to 0.16 pc and a mass of 8 M(circle dot).