NASA and the European Space Agency said on Tuesday that James Webb Telescope The astronaut captured a new image of the Chariot Wheel galaxy, revealing the rotating color ring with unprecedented clarity.
The Cartwheel galaxy is located about 500 million light-years from Earth in the constellation Sculptor, and acquired its shape during an amazing collision between two galaxies.
She said “NASA” And the European Space Agency said in a joint statement that the collision created two rings expanding from the center of the galaxy “like ripples in a pond after a stone was thrown into it.”
The statement added that the smaller white ring remains closer to the center galaxywhile the outer ring with its colorful ribs has been expanding in the universe about 440 million years ago.
As the outer ring expands, it flows into gas, which leads to the formation of new stars.
The Hubble telescope previously took pictures of this rare ring galaxy, which is believed to be a spiral galaxy like our Milky Way, before it collided with a smaller exotic galaxy.
But the Webb Telescope, which launched in December 2021 and revealed its first images in global furor last month, has a much greater range.
This revealed new details about the formation of stars in the galaxy, as well as the behavior of the supermassive black hole at its core.
The researchers were also able to detect areas rich in hydrocarbons and other chemicals, as well as dust that resembles dust found on Earth.
Behind the wagon wheel, two small galaxies shine brightly, while more galaxies can be seen behind them.
The two space agencies said the observations show that the Cartwheel galaxy is still in a “very transitional stage.”
“While Webb gives us a glimpse into the current state of the cartwheel, it also provides insight into what happened to this galaxy in the past and how it will evolve in the future,” she explained.