The a barred spiral galaxy NGC 1559 has been observed by the Webb telescope.

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.

Comments

NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope Reveals New Details of the Orion Nebula’s Star Formation.

This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image captures the Orion Nebula (Messier 42, M42), the nearest star-forming region to Earth, located about 1,500 light-years away. A captivating new image captured by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope offers an extraordinary look into the Orion Nebula, the nearest massive star-forming region to Earth. Located just 1,500 light-years away, this nebula is visible to the naked eye below the three stars forming Orion's "belt." The region is home to hundreds of newborn stars, including two protostars featured in the image: HOPS 150 and HOPS 153. Named after the Herschel Orion Protostar Survey, conducted with ESA’s Herschel Space Observatory, the protostars HOPS 150 and HOPS 153 provide key insights into the early stages of star formation. HOPS 150, visible in the upper-right corner of the image, is a binary star system, with two young stars orbiting one another. These protostars are surrounded by small dusty disks, where material from th...

New Method Detects Small Asteroids in Main Belt, Offering Insight for Planetary Defense.

An international team of physicists, led by MIT researchers, has developed a groundbreaking method to detect small asteroids, as small as 10 meters in diameter, within the main asteroid belt. These space rocks, ranging from the size of a bus to several stadiums wide, were previously undetectable using traditional methods. The team's discovery, detailed in a paper published in Nature, could significantly improve tracking of potential asteroid impactors, aiding planetary defense efforts. The main asteroid belt, located between Mars and Jupiter, is home to millions of asteroids, but until now, scientists could only detect objects roughly a kilometer in diameter. The new detection technique, which utilizes the "shift and stack" method, is able to identify much smaller asteroids, even those far from Earth, enabling more precise orbital tracking. This breakthrough is crucial for planetary defense, allowing scientists to spot near-Earth objects that may pose a threat in the fu...

XSPECT Payload Successfully Validates Performance through Cas A Observation.

The XSPECT instrument captures a detailed spectrum of the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A (Cas A), encompassing both the Galactic Cosmic Ray (GCR) background and the Cosmic X-ray Background (CXB). The flux observed above 8 keV predominantly results from the combined contributions of CXB and GCR. The presented spectrum, depicted in the figure, is derived from a cumulative integration time of 20 ksec, collected across multiple orbits, providing valuable insights into the X-ray emissions associated with Cas A. XPoSat, India's inaugural X-ray polarimetric mission, has achieved a significant as the XSPECT instrument captures its initial observations from the Cassiopeia A (Cas A) supernova remnant. Launched on January 1, 2024, XPoSat is equipped with two co-aligned instruments, namely the POLarimeter Instrument in X-rays (POLIX) and X-ray SPECtroscopy and Timing (XSPECT). This mission is designed to unravel the mysteries of cosmic X-ray sources. While POLIX focuses on examining X-ray po...

Infinity Cosmos

Search This Blog