James Webb Space Telescope Feed Post

NGC 1365 (Webb Image)

Barred spiral galaxy, NGC 1365. In Webb’s high-resolution infrared images, the gas and dust stand out in stark shades of orange and red, and show finer spiral shapes with the appearance of jagged edges, though these areas are still diffuse. More information: webbtelescope.org/contents/media/images/2024/105/01HM9X1D... Read the feature: science.nasa.gov/missions/webb/nasas-webb-depicts-stagger... Full set of images: webbtelescope.org/contents/news-releases/2024/news-2024-1... NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Janice Lee (STScI), Thomas Williams (Oxford), PHANGS Team Image description: Two observations of a portion of the galaxy NGC 1365 are split diagonally, with Hubble’s observations at top left and Webb’s at bottom right. The galaxy’s core appears just above center to the left and the galaxy’s bar structure extends horizontally, its slight curve forms a backward S shape. In Hubble’s image, the bar and the beginning of the galaxy’s spiral arms are a mix of dark brown dust lanes and some bright blue star clusters, and a dot at the center of the galaxy’s core is pale yellow. In Webb’s image, the dust lanes that cross the bar are shades of orange, with prominent dark gray or black “bubbles,” and there is a blue haze at the core and bar. Image & Description by NASA