James Webb telescope reveals star formation in stunning Cartwheel Galaxy
What's the story
Another day, another feather in the hat for the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). This time, it peered into the chaos of the Cartwheel Galaxy and has shown us details we've never seen before. The galaxy, which resembles the wheel of an old-fashioned wagon, is a very rare sighting. The image shows the galaxy, its black hole, star formation, and even two companion galaxies.
Context
Why does this story matter?
More and more mysteries of the universe are making way for the James Webb telescope as it continues its trailblazing journey. The image of the Cartwheel Galaxy is a testament to the fact that even large dust clouds will not stop the telescope from seeing what it's supposed to see. This telescope will surely make every day in the foreseeable future an exciting one.
The image
The image shows Cartwheel Galaxy alongside two smaller companion galaxies
The image captured by JWST shows the Cartwheel Galaxy along with two other small companion galaxies. It is JWST's infrared gaze that made it possible for the telescope to capture the Cartwheel Galaxy in such fine detail. It revealed individual stars within the star-forming regions in the outer ring of the galaxy alongside clusters of young stars around the galaxy's supermassive central black hole.
Birth of galaxy
Cartwheel Galaxy was formed as a result of a collision
The Cartwheel Galaxy is located 500 million light years away from the Earth in the Sculptor constellation. Scientists believe that long ago, it was a spiral galaxy like our Milky Way. Its current appearance is the result of a high-speed collision with a smaller galaxy 700-800 million years ago. The collision affected the galaxy's shape and structure, and gave it a ring-like look.
Star formation
Outer ring's expansion triggers star formation
Galaxies like Cartwheel are called 'ring galaxies.' The Cartwheel galaxy has two rings - a bright, inner ring around the galactic center and a colorful outer ring framing the galaxy. The two rings expand outward like ripples in a pond. The outer ring's expansion is the main cause of star formation. Small blue dots in the image show areas where new stars are born.
Infrared
Dust clouds block the view of optical telescopes
NASA had tried to get a better look at the Cartwheel before by using the Hubble telescope. However, this was made hard by the amount of dust obscuring the view. The Webb telescope's Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam) can peer through the dust clouds. The NIRCam revealed individual stars within star-forming regions, while the MIRI camera showed us areas rich in hydrocarbons and silicate dust.