New image from James Webb Telescope |
Galaxy revealed behind dense stardust
State-of-the-art infrared cameras on board the new James Webb telescope make it possible: For the first time, Nasa and ESA are showing a razor-sharp photo of the well-known Cartwheel Galaxy in space.
It has never been so sharp because of the stardust around the galaxy.
The James Webb Telescope from Nasa and ESA gives an unprecedented insight into our universe
The sensational image allows a glimpse into the chaos of this galaxy and, according to Nasa, reveals new details regarding star formation and the central black hole at the center of the galaxy.
The Cartwheel Galaxy lies regarding 500 million light-years from Earth in the Sculptor constellation. Its chariot wheel-like appearance is the result of a high-speed collision between a large spiral galaxy and a smaller galaxy not visible in this image.
Galactic-scale collisions cause a cascade of various smaller events between the galaxies involved. The collision primarily affected the shape and structure.
The Cartwheel Galaxy has two rings – a bright inner ring and a colorful outer ring. These two rings spread outward from the center of the collision, like ripples in a pond following a rock is thrown into it, according to Nasa. Because of these distinctive features, astronomers call it a “ring galaxy.”
The bright core contains an enormous amount of hot dust, with the brightest areas home to gigantic young star clusters. Stars form and die in the outer ring, which has been expanding for regarding 440 million years.
Other telescopes, including the Hubble Space Telescope, have also previously studied the wagon wheel. But a huge amount of dust obscured the view. The James Webb telescope is revealing new insights into the nature of the wagon wheel with its ability to detect infrared light. Astronomers around the world are excited.
