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When NASA’s most powerful space observatory, the James Webb Space Observatory, beams back pictures of our bottomless universe, you know it’s something remarkable.
The most recent photo from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) shows an incredibly bright spiral galaxy in the constellation Vela, about 120 million light-years away.
What is so special about this spiral galaxy?
- NGC 3256, a distorted galaxy, originated from a celestial collision that occurred half a billion years (500 million) ago, earning it the nickname “cosmic collision”.
- Within the central region and a significant portion of the NGC 3256 galaxy, vibrant orange- and red-colored spots indicate the presence of many young stars that emerged as a result of turbulent collisions between galaxies.
See also: Webb Telescope’s picture of Saturn looks really weird. here’s why.
The Hubble Space Telescope had already imaged the galaxy NGC 3256 before the James Webb Space Telescope.
Webb’s use of infrared wavelengths, on the other hand, allows for more detailed analysis of galaxy collisions, revealing information about the complex process of star formation within colliding galaxies.
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has superior infrared capabilities that allow it to monitor and capture images in breathtaking detail.
Cover Image: NASA
When NASA’s most powerful space observatory, the James Webb Space Observatory, beams back pictures of our bottomless universe, you know it’s something remarkable.
The most recent photo from NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) shows an incredibly bright spiral galaxy in the constellation Vela, about 120 million light-years away.
What is so special about this spiral galaxy?
- NGC 3256, a distorted galaxy, originated from a celestial collision that occurred half a billion years (500 million) ago, earning it the nickname “cosmic collision”.
- Within the central region and a significant portion of the NGC 3256 galaxy, vibrant orange- and red-colored spots indicate the presence of many young stars that emerged as a result of turbulent collisions between galaxies.
See also: Webb Telescope’s picture of Saturn looks really weird. here’s why.
The Hubble Space Telescope had already imaged the galaxy NGC 3256 before the James Webb Space Telescope.
Webb’s use of infrared wavelengths, on the other hand, allows for more detailed analysis of galaxy collisions, revealing information about the complex process of star formation within colliding galaxies.
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has superior infrared capabilities that allow it to monitor and capture images in breathtaking detail.
Cover Image: NASA
