Galaxy NGC 2090 in Visible/UV vs. Infrared Light | Hubble & Webb Telescope Views

Galaxy NGC 2090 in Visible/UV vs. Infrared Light | Hubble & Webb Telescope Views

The first picture comes from the NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope. The second image that transitions in is from the NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope. They both show the spiral galaxy NGC 2090 located in the constellation Columba. 

By combining data from Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) and Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI), we can see infrared views of the galaxy’s two winding spiral arms and the swirling gas and dust of its disc in magnificent and unique detail.

This was one of the group of galaxies studied early on by the NASA/European Space Agency Hubble Space Telescope, observing Cepheid variable stars in it as part of refining the measurement of the Hubble constant. The Cepheid-based measurement from that study in 1998 put NGC 2090 as 37 million light-years away; the newest measurements have NGC 2090 slightly farther away, at 40 million light-years. Hubble is to this day surveying galaxies in visible and ultraviolet (UV) light.

Before and since that project, NGC 2090 has been well studied as a very prominent nearby example of star formation. It has been described as a flocculent spiral, meaning a spiral galaxy with a patchy, dusty disc and arms that are flaky or not visible at all. Visible-light images show this well, but the near-infrared data from NIRCam used in this image reveal the spiral arms with remarkable clarity. NIRCam also picks up bright light from stars, displayed by the blue colors most visible in the center. Meanwhile, mid-infrared light emitted mainly by the important carbon-based compounds known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons along the many strands of gas and dust is captured by MIRI and shown here in red.

These data on NGC 2090 were collected as part of an observing program (#3707) taking a census of nearby massive, star-forming galaxies much like it. These galaxies are at just the right distance, with the right size and level of activity, that Webb’s instruments can capture a comprehensive picture of the star-forming activity, including the tightly-bound clusters that stars often form in, and the clouds of gas in the galaxy where stars can be born. The rich collection of detailed images like this one will be of value to astronomers studying this area for years to come.

Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, A. Leroy, N. Bartmann (ESA/Webb)
Duration: 30 seconds
Release Date: Nov. 27, 2024

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