James Webb Space Telescope Feed Post

Webb finds surprises in Spiderweb protocluster field

Webb and the Spiderweb protocluster? Let’s get stuck in! ?? What is it? A galaxy cluster in formation, 10 billion light years away, composed of more than 100 known galaxies. Webb has found some new ones! Though the Spiderweb protocluster is well-studied, because of Webb’s capability to see infrared light, scientists are using it to observe regions of the Spiderweb that were previously hidden to us by cosmic dust. The characteristics of the new galaxies Webb has spotted are shedding light on how galaxies grow and interact as clusters form. Most galaxies in local clusters are old and not very active. The ones in the Spiderweb are comparatively adolescents. What has been surprising? The previously-known galaxies in the Spiderweb galaxy cluster are not as dusty as we thought. This may be because their star formation and growth are not being triggered so much by galaxy mergers, but by gas accumulating at different locations all across the cluster. Read more and find annotated images here: esawebb.org/news/weic2428/ Image credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, H. Dannerbauer Image description: Hundreds of galaxies appear in this view, which is set against the black background of space. There are many overlapping objects at various distances. They include large, blue foreground stars, some with eight diffraction spikes, and white and pink spiral and elliptical galaxies. Numerous tiny orange dots appear throughout the scene. Image & Description by NASA