James Webb Space Telescope Discovery

Clicking on each image will open the full resolution one. Try it!
Clicking on "Raw images" image will yield all the relevant raw images.

Date: 2/16/2023

Webb Reveals Intricate Networks of Gas and Dust in Nearby Galaxies

This image taken by the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope shows one of a total of 19 galaxies targeted for study by the Physics at High Angular resolution in Nearby Galaxies (PHANGS) collaboration. Nearby barred spiral galaxy NGC 1433 takes on a completely new look when observed by Webb’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI). NGC 1433’s spiral arms are littered with evidence of extremely young stars releasing energy and, in some cases, blowing out the gas and dust of the interstellar medium they plough into. Areas that once appeared dark and dim in optical imaging light up under Webb’s infrared eye, as clumps of dust and gas in the interstellar medium absorb the light from forming stars and emit it back out in the infrared. Webb’s image of NGC1433 is a dramatic display of the role that dynamic processes within the forming stars, dust, and gas play in the larger structure of an entire galaxy. At the centre of the galaxy, a tight, bright core featuring a unique double ring structure shines in exquisite detail, revealed by Webb’s extreme resolution. In this case, that double ring is actually tightly wrapped spiral arms that wind into an oval shape along the galaxy’s bar axis. NGC 1433 is classified as a Seyfert galaxy, a galaxy relatively close to Earth that has a bright, active core. The brightness and lack of dust in the MIRI image of NGC 1433 could hint at a recent merger or even collision with another galaxy. In the image of NGC 1433, blue, green, and red were assigned to Webb’s MIRI data at 7.7, 10 and 11.3, and 21 microns (the F770W, F1000W and F1130W, and F2100W filters, respectively). NGC 1433 (MIRI Image - Annotated)
Scientists are getting their first look with the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope’s powerful resolution at how the formation of young stars influences the evolution of nearby galaxies. The spiral arms of NGC 7496, one of a total of 19 galaxies targeted for study by the Physics at High Angular resolution in Nearby Galaxies (PHANGS) collaboration, are filled with cavernous bubbles and shells overlapping one another in this image from Webb’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI). These filaments and hollow cavities are evidence of young stars releasing energy and, in some cases, blowing out the gas and dust of the interstellar medium they plough into. Until Webb’s high resolution at infrared wavelengths came along, stars at the earliest point of their lifecycle in nearby galaxies like NGC 7496 remained obscured by gas and dust. Webb’s specific wavelength coverage (7.7 and 11.3 microns), allows for the detection of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which play a critical role in the formation of stars and planets. In Webb’s MIRI image, these are mostly found within the main dust lanes in the spiral arms. In their analysis of the new data from Webb, scientists were able to identify nearly 60 new, undiscovered embedded cluster candidates in NGC 7496. These newly identified clusters could be among the youngest stars in the entire galaxy. At the centre of NGC 7496, a barred spiral galaxy, is an active galactic nucleus (AGN). An AGN is a supermassive black hole that is emitting jets and winds. The AGN glows brightly at the centre of this Webb image. Additionally, Webb’s extreme sensitivity also picks up various background galaxies,far distant from NGC 7496, which appear green or red in some instances. NGC 7496 lies over 24 million light-years away from Earth in the constellation Grus. In this image of NGC 7496, blue, green, and red were assigned to Webb’s MIRI data at 7.7, 10 and 11.3, and 21 microns (the F770W, F1000W and F1130W, and F2100W filters, respectively). NGC 7496 (MIRI Image - Annotated)
Scientists are getting their first look with the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope’s powerful resolution at how the formation of young stars influences the evolution of nearby galaxies. NGC 1365, observed here by Webb’s Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) is one of a total of 19 galaxies targeted for study by the Physics at High Angular resolution in Nearby Galaxies (PHANGS) collaboration. As revealed by the MIRI observations of NGC 1365, clumps of dust and gas in the interstellar medium have absorbed the light from forming stars and emitted it back out in the infrared, lighting up an intricate network of cavernous bubbles and filamentary shells influenced by young stars releasing energy into the galaxy’s spiral arms. Webb’s exquisite resolution also picks up several extremely bright star clusters not far from the core and newly observed recently formed clusters along the outer edges of the spiral arms. Additionally, the Webb images provide insights into how the orbits of stars and gas vary depending on where they form, and how this results in the population of older clusters outside the inner star-formation ring. NGC 1365 is a double-barred spiral galaxy that lies about 56 million light-years away from Earth. It’s one of the largest galaxies currently known to astronomers, spanning twice the length of the Milky Way. In this image of NGC 1356, blue, green, and red were assigned to Webb’s MIRI data at 7.7, 10 and 11.3, and 21 microns (the F770W, F1000W and F1130W, and F2100W filters, respectively). NGC 7496 (MIRI Image - Annotated) Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, and J. Lee (NOIRLab), A. Pagan (STScI) NGC 1433 Raw Images NGC 7496 Raw Images NGC 1365 Raw Images