The space agency NASA has published images of the Cartwheel Galaxy (ESO 350-40) and its companion galaxies, located in the constellation Sculptor at a distance of about 500 million light-years from Earth. The photographs were taken by the James Webb telescope.
Scientists believe that about 200 million years ago, the captured galaxy collided with its satellite at great speed. The resulting shock wave, which lifted gas and dust, created additional star formation regions around the central part of the Cartwheel and led to the formation of rings.
Thanks to data from the space observatory, scientists have been able to learn more about the process of star formation in this galaxy and about the black hole at its center. In addition, scientists have confirmed that the Cartwheel is in the process of transforming into an ordinary spiral galaxy.
Recently we wrotethat NASA released a new image of the cluster of galaxies from the James Webb telescope. It is claimed to be “the deepest and clearest infrared image of a distant galaxy” so far.
Olesya Maevskaya