Close-up view: Spiral Galaxy NGC 2566 in Puppis | James Webb Space Telescope

Close-up view: Spiral Galaxy NGC 2566 in Puppis | James Webb Space Telescope

The galaxy filling the frame in this NASA/European Space Agency/Canadian Space Agency James Webb Space Telescope picture is NGC 2566, a spiral galaxy located in the constellation Puppis. In this image, Webb’s Mid-InfraRed Instrument (MIRI) puts the thick clouds of interstellar dust throughout NGC 2566 on display, as well as the galaxy’s compact, bright core.

At 76 million light-years away, NGC 2566 is considered a nearby galaxy, making it an excellent target for studying fine details like star clusters and gas clouds. The new Webb images of NGC 2566 were collected as part of an observing program (#3707) dedicated to understanding the connections between stars, gas and dust in nearby star-forming galaxies. NGC 2566 is just one of the 55 galaxies in the local Universe examined by Webb for this program.

To gain a full understanding of the star-formation process in nearby galaxies, astronomers will combine Webb data with observations from other telescopes. At the long-wavelength end of the electromagnetic spectrum, the 66 radio dishes of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) provide a detailed view of the cold, turbulent clouds where stars are born. The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has also cast its gaze on NGC 2566. The Hubble data will help researchers take a census of the stars in nearby galaxies, especially the young stars that are bright at the ultraviolet and visible wavelengths that Hubble is sensitive to. Together, the Webb, Hubble and ALMA data provide a comprehensive view of the cold gas, warm dust, and brilliant stars in NGC 2566.

Image Description: A spiral galaxy, seen close-up. Its core is a round spot that glows intensely bright, crowned by eight long and spikes that extend across the galaxy, artefacts of the telescope’s structure. Its disc is an oval shape with edges made of very thick and cloudy arms of gas and dust, mostly blue but paler and brighter around patches of stars. Wisps of darker dust also fill the inner disc and swirl off the ends of the arms.

Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA & CSA, A. Leroy

Duration: 30 seconds
Release Date: Dec. 17, 2024

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