[ad_1]

Only a few weeks have passed since the first images of the James Webb space telescope which have collected a lot of support both among scientists but also among enthusiasts or the simple curious. As we know initially the NASA and the other agencies involved (including ESA and CSA) have targeted the exoplanet WASP-96 b, the Southern Ring Nebula, Stephan’s Quintet, the Carina Nebula and finally an image of the deep field (the first to be revealed).

jwst wagon wheel

Click on the image to enlarge it to the maximum resolution

Subsequently, within the documents of commissioning of the JWST The image of Jupiter was inserted and still shortly thereafter another of the gas giant and that of an asteroid arrived. Thanks to the choice of objectives it was also possible to make a first comparison with the older Hubble Space Telescope, showing the potential of a telescope that detects infrared rays over a wider part of the electromagnetic spectrum. However, the adventure is only at the beginning and, in addition to the fantastic images that will arrive, there will also be a lot of data (which have already allowed us to find a new galaxy formed “soon after” the Big Bang). In these hours a new image captured by the JWST: this is the Chariot Wheel Galaxy also known as ESO 350-40.

The Chariot Wheel Galaxy as seen by the James Webb Space Telescope

In a post on the official blog of the NASA It is possible to observe what one of the last processed images of JWST. In particular, the attention falls, as written above, on the Chariot Wheel Galaxy (or ESO 350-40) with the areas of star formation and on the black hole which is located at the center of the galaxy itself.

This galaxy is located about 500 million light-years from the Sculptor’s constellation Earth (while the dimensions are approximately 150,000 light-years in diameter). Its imaginative name derives from the resemblance to the wagon wheel where you can see a very bright central area from which several “rays” which connect with the outermost area (this structure is called “ring galaxy”), highlighted by James Webb space telescope. Its structure is due to a collision between a large spiral galaxy and a smaller galaxy about 200-300 million years ago. This clash has brought about a change that has not yet ended and that will bring the galaxy to a new face for the next millions of years.

jwst galaxy wagon wheel

The image captured by the JWST MIRI tool

In the central area we find a lot of dust (which emits a large amount of infrared rays being hot) and large star clusters. In the outer zone, on the other hand, we find areas of star formation (thanks to the surrounding gas) and supernovae.

The observation was used NIRCam tool of the James Webb space telescope at a wavelength between 0.6m and 5m that allows you to see “through the dust” revealing more stars than visible light (as in the case of Hubble). In the image the data collected by NIRCam they are colored blue, orange and yellow. We remember in fact that being an infrared telescope the images are necessarily modified in order to be observed by our eyes. The consistency of the acquired data remains unaltered.

Besides NIRCam was also employed MIRI (with its data being colored red), as in the case of the Messier 74. This allowed us to see the areas of the Chariot Wheel Galaxy rich in hydrocarbons, silicate dust. As written, this is just the beginning. The new space telescope has a five-year main mission while an extended one that is expected to extend its operational life up to ten. Furthermore, there is the possibility that it will reach up to twenty years of observations (thanks to the propellant saved during the launch).

Gift ideas, why waste time and risk making mistakes?
GIVE A GOOD AMAZON
!


.

[ad_2]

Source link

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *