M74 shines at its best in this combined optical/mid-infrared image, with data from both … [+] the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope and the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope. With Hubble’s venerable Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS) and Webb’s powerful Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) capturing a range of wavelengths, this new image has remarkable depth. Red colors mark the dust passing through the arms of the galaxy, with lighter oranges being the hottest dust areas. Young stars along the arms and nuclear core are highlighted in blue. Older, heavier stars toward the galaxy’s center are shown in cyan and green, casting an eerie glow from the core of the Ghost Galaxy. Star-forming bubbles are also visible in pink on the arms. Such a variety of galactic features is rare to see in a single image. Scientists combine data from telescopes that operate across the electromagnetic spectrum to truly understand astronomical objects. In this way, the Hubble and Webb data complement each other to provide a comprehensive view of the spectacular galaxy M74. Links Panorama of the Phantom Galaxy Hubble and Webb Showcase M74 Panorama of the combined optical/infrared image of M74 (Hubble and Webb) Image A Image C
ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, J. Lee and the PHANGS-JWST team; ESA/Hubble and NASA, R. Chandar Acknowledgment: J. Schmidt
The European Space Agency (ESA) has released a beautiful new image created with data from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and the Hubble Space Telescope (HST).
In the wake of JWST’s debut collection in July, images from the $1 billion space telescope have been few and far between, though we have seen Jupiter in the infrared, the more distant star thanks to a ripple in space- time and a “ring galaxy”. in 4K.
The main image released (above) is a combination of separate JWST and Hubble Space Telescope (HST) images of the “Ghost Galaxy,” a distant spiral galaxy 32 million light-years from the solar system in the constellation Pisces.
The red colors mark dust passing through the arms of the galaxy, while the lighter oranges are areas of hotter dust, according to the caption on the download page. Young stars are blue, old stars are cyan and green, while star-forming bubbles are pink.
The JWST image of M74 was also released as a standalone (below), a clearer version of some earlier images of the same object. It is available to download for the first time, in HD quality.
This image from the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope shows the heart of M74, also known as … [+] like the phantom galaxy. Webb’s keen eyesight has revealed delicate filaments of gas and dust in the grand spiral arms that coil outward from the center of this image. The lack of gas in the nuclear region also provides an unobstructed view of the nuclear star cluster at the center of the galaxy. M74 is a particular class of spiral galaxy known as a ‘grand design spiral’, meaning that its spiral arms are prominent and well-defined, as opposed to the jagged, irregular structure seen in some spiral galaxies. The Ghost Galaxy is about 32 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Pisces, and is almost directly facing Earth. This, along with its well-defined spiral arms, makes it a favorite target for astronomers studying the origin and structure of galactic spirals. Webb observed M74 with his Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) to learn more about the early stages of star formation in the local Universe. These observations are part of a larger effort to map 19 nearby infrared star-forming galaxies by the international PHANGS collaboration. These galaxies have already been observed using the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope and ground-based observatories. The addition of clear Webb observations at longer wavelengths will allow astronomers to identify star-forming regions in galaxies, accurately measure the masses and ages of star clusters, and gain insights into the nature of tiny grains of stars. dust moving in interstellar space. Hubble observations of M74 have revealed particularly bright areas of star formation known as HII regions. Hubble’s sharp vision at ultraviolet and visible wavelengths complements Webb’s unparalleled sensitivity at infrared wavelengths, as do observations from ground-based radio telescopes such as the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, ALMA. By combining data from telescopes operating through
ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, J. Lee and the PHANGS-JWST team. Credit: J. Schmidt
The image (above) shows delicate filaments of gas and dust in the spiral arms at the heart of M74, which is known as a “grand design spiral” for its perfect structure. Since there is no dust in the way, it is also possible to see the star cluster in the center of the galaxy.
Expect to see many equally impressive combinations of JWST and HST images in the next couple of decades.
JWST sees in the infrared part of the spectrum, while HST sees primarily in the ultraviolet and visible wavelengths. They are the perfect complement and proof, if more is needed, that JWST shouldn’t be called “the new Hubble.”
Here are the three images, with HST on the left, the mash-up in the middle, and JWST on the right:
New images of the Phantom Galaxy, M74, show the power of space observatories working together in … [+] multiple wavelengths. At left, the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope’s view of the galaxy ranges from the oldest, reddest stars toward the center, to the youngest, bluest stars in its spiral arms, to the most active star formation in the red bubbles from H II regions. . On the right, the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope image is strikingly different, highlighting the masses of gas and dust within the galaxy’s arms and the dense cluster of stars at its core. The combined image in the center fuses these two together for a truly unique look at this “grand design” spiral galaxy. Scientists combine data from telescopes that operate across the electromagnetic spectrum to truly understand astronomical objects. In this way, the Hubble and Webb data complement each other to provide a comprehensive view of the spectacular galaxy M74. Links Panorama of the Phantom Galaxy Hubble and Webb Showcase M74 Panorama of the combined optical/infrared image of M74 (Hubble and Webb) Image A Image B
ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, J. Lee and the PHANGS-JWST team; ESA/Hubble and NASA, R. Chandar Acknowledgment: J. Schmidt
JWST’s observations of M74, the first galaxy it studied after “first light” in July 2022, were part of the international Physics at High Angular Resolution in Nearby Galaxies (PHANGS) survey now used by Webb to study stars, the star clusters and dust found within 19 nearby galaxies. All 19 have already been observed and photographed by HST.
The goal is to reveal early star formation when gas collapses to form stars and heats surrounding dust. JWST’s infrared observations are expected to add new insights into the location of star-forming regions in galaxies. They should also help astronomers calculate the masses and ages of star clusters.
The images come from JWST’s MIRI instrument, which was contributed by ESA and NASA. MIRI, which stands for Mid-Infrared Instrument, is a camera and spectrograph that sees light in the mid-infrared region of the electromagnetic spectrum.
Webb is the most ambitious and complex scientific space telescope ever built, with a massive 6.5-meter primary mirror that will be able to detect the faint light from distant stars and galaxies. It is designed to detect infrared light emitted by distant stars, planets, and clouds of gas and dust.
His initial 10-year Webb mission will study the solar system, obtain direct images of exoplanets, photograph the first galaxies, and explore the mysteries of the origins of the Universe.
