Another nice image was obtained by the space telescope James Webb. This time it is from Cartwheel galaxy.
Source: CNET
The European Space Agency said the galaxy, which is located 500 million light-years away, was “once shrouded in dust and mystery.” But Webb has peeled back the shroud to reveal new information about its stars, composition and future.
The shape of Cartwheel galaxy was created by a collision between a big spiral galaxy and a smaller one, approximately 200 millions of years ago.
“Webb’s observations underscore that the Cartwheel is in a very transitory stage,” said NASA. “The galaxy, which was presumably a normal spiral galaxy like the Milky Way before its collision, will continue to transform.”
The galaxy is a hotbed for baby stars. “The bright core contains a tremendous amount of hot dust with the brightest areas being the home to gigantic young star clusters,” said NASA in a statement on Tuesday. “On the other hand, the outer ring, which has expanded for about 440 million years, is dominated by star formation and supernovas.”
The new Cartwheel data reveals information about the age of the stars in the galaxy and details about the dust that makes up the “spokes” in the wheel. Webb spotted silicate dust there, a type that’s widespread on Earth.
