New images from the James Webb Telescope have shown a galaxy in amazing clarity, giving humans a glimpse of something that resembles nothing but hell.
The fiery images were seen by the James Webb Space Telescope and published in a special issue of The Letters of the Astrophysical Journal earlier this week.
The images taken by JWST’s MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) show a spiraling galaxy dubbed the “Phantom Galaxy” resembling lava or a fiery whirlpool.
The ability to see in the infrared means the telescope can see through clouds of dust that would normally block the view of other telescopes such as NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope.
The ‘Phantom Galaxy’ looks like hell. Photo credit: JWST
The “Phantom Galaxy” is believed to be 32 million light-years away in the constellation of Pisces.
These images are an improvement over the previous infrared-capable telescope, the Spitzer Space Telescope, which was active between 2003 and 2020.
Referring to the capabilities of the JWST, which has been orbiting the Earth since launch on December 25, 2021, Karin Sandstrom, an associate professor at the University of California San Diego, said, “Since Spitzer retired, we haven’t had much access to the mid-infrared spectrum, but JWST is amazing.”
While Spitzer’s mirror was only 0.8 meters long, JWST’s is 6.5 meters.
Sandstrom said, “It’s a huge telescope and it has amazing instruments. I’ve been waiting for this for a very long time.”
It is hoped that remarkable images like these will help scientists map the structure of molecular clouds that form stars.
A better understanding of this would help answer the question of whether a galaxy forms new stars at all.
Sandstrom said: “Areas that are completely dark in Hubble imaging light up in exquisite detail in these new infrared images, allowing us to study how the dust in the interstellar medium absorbs light from forming stars and absorbs it in the infrared.” gave back. illuminate an intricate network of gas and dust.”
The James Webb Space Telescope is the most powerful telescope on Earth. Credit: gre jak / Alamy Stock Photo
The image of the fiery galaxy is just one of many recently released to demonstrate the new telescope’s capabilities.
Outer space continues to fascinate scientists from around the world, who are constantly providing new information about galaxies, stars and solar systems.
In 2020, scientists discovered that a galaxy called “Kraken” collided with the Milky Way about 11 billion years ago.
A study from the University of Nottingham even suggests there may be more than 30 extraterrestrial civilizations in the Milky Way – given that it takes each planet five billion years for intelligent life to form like it did on Earth.
Whether aliens exist or not, space will continue to be a source of interest and fascination for millions here on Earth.
Source: www.unilad.com
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