The James Webb Space Telescope has captured a stunning image of the Cartwheel Galaxy, once again showcasing its incredible photo prowess.
The two cameras were combined into this image because together they reveal details that are difficult to see in the individual images alone, the Webb team explains. The MIRI data is colored red while the NIRCam data sees blue, orange, and yellow. The Webb team explains that amidst the red dust are many individual blue dots that are individual stars or “pockets” of star formation.
The Cartwheel Galaxy was formed as the result of a high-speed collision that occurred about 400 million years ago. It is made up of two rings: a bright inner ring and a colorful outer ring, both of which expand outward from the center of the shockwave in what the Webb team describes looks like a shockwave.
“Despite the impact, much of the character of the large, spiral galaxy that existed before the collision remains, including its rotating arms,” the Webb team explains. “This leads to the ‘spokes’ that inspired the name of the Cartwheel Galaxy, which are the bright red streaks seen between the inner and outer rings. These brilliant red hues, located not only throughout the Cartwheel, but also the companion spiral galaxy at the top left, are caused by glowing, hydrocarbon-rich dust.”“The form that the Cartwheel Galaxy will eventually take, given these two competing forces, is still a mystery.
The result is an orbital observatory capable of capturing photos of incredible detail and resolution. The
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