 |
This image features the barred spiral galaxy galaxy NGC 1559 as seen by the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope. |
Captured by the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope, this image showcases the barred spiral galaxy NGC 1559. Situated approximately 35 million light-years away in the seldom-explored southern constellation Reticulum (The Reticule), the galaxy exhibits a visible central region and distinctive, loosely-wound spiral arms. Utilizing two of Webb’s instruments, the Mid-InfraRed Instrument (MIRI) captures the glow of interstellar dust grains, outlining the interstellar medium crucial for future star formation. Simultaneously, the Near-InfraRed Camera (NIRCam) reveals starlight, including that from young stars concealed behind extensive dust, and captures emissions from ionized nebulae surrounding these youthful celestial bodies.
The PHANGS team collected the data featured in this image as part of an extensive observing program, where the James Webb Space Telescope (Webb) observes 55 galaxies previously mapped by the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) radio telescope and the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope. Webb’s unparalleled perspective on dust and stars, combined with data from these other instruments, aims to provide an exceptionally detailed understanding of the life cycle of stars in galaxies throughout the Universe. As a Treasury program, the data is accessible immediately to the scientific community and the public, allowing for more rapid and extensive research applications.
NGC 1559, with its expansive spiral arms teeming with star formation, is in a state of recession, moving away from us at a velocity of approximately 1300 kilometers per second. Despite the optical illusion that places NGC 1559 near one of our apparent neighbors, the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), this is merely a trick of perspective. In reality, NGC 1559 exists in isolation, devoid of any nearby galaxies or affiliation with a galaxy cluster. Although it may be a cosmic loner, the James Webb Space Telescope allows us to appreciate NGC 1559 from a distance, offering a unique glimpse into its solitary celestial existence.
