{"id":"f-73cd9b4b27-1ff87062-9ec2-53f6-8338-f56f31aae379","title":"Webb space telescope peers into nearby spiral galaxy","description":"The James Webb Space Telescope has observed the nearby spiral galaxy NGC 5134. The observations help scientists better understand the distribution of gas and dust in the galaxy, and the process of star formation.","timestamp":1773579180,"category":"technology","headline":"Webb space telescope peers into nearby spiral galaxy","modifiedHeadline":"Webb Views Galaxy NGC 5134","subCategories":["scid_5481d7c6"],"subcategoriesName":["Space Exploration"],"region":"IN","bundleMetaData":{"bundleId":"b162fe12-9cac-4117-a958-cc0604a457de","bundleTitle":"Science Simplified","cardData":null},"iabCategoryId":"472","iabCategoryName":"Space and Astronomy","fcSummary":"the james webb space telescope has captured stunning infrared images of the spiral galaxy ngc 5134, revealing warm dust and complex organic molecules in its interstellar clouds. these observations offer insights into ongoing chemical processes and star formation within the galaxy, helping astronomers understand stellar life cycles and how stars reshape their environments.","summary":"Webb Telescope reveals star formation details in nearby spiral galaxy NGC 5134.","ctaUrl":"https://trends.glance.com/newz/astrology/IN/en/news9/f-73cd9b4b27-1ff87062-9ec2-53f6-8338-f56f31aae379","sourceUrl":"https://www.news9live.com/science/webb-space-telescope-peers-into-nearby-spiral-galaxy-2942737","bannerImage":"https://g-mob.glance-cdn.com/public/fc/image/P_Iqo5QXopr0.webp","content":"

New Delhi: The James Webb Space Telescope has turned its sensitive infrared gaze towards a spiral galaxy designated as NGC 5134, located at a distance

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of 65 million lightyears in the constellation of Virgo. The galaxy is relatively nearby as far as galaxies go, but the distance means that the observations by Webb reveal the state of the galaxy shortly after the extinction of the dinosaurs. The sensitive infrared instruments on Webb have resolved incredible details in the tightly wound spiral arms. The Mid-InfraRed Instrument (MIRI) has captured warm dust in the interstellar clouds of the galaxy, revealing the ‘bones’ of the galaxy.

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Some of the dust is composed of complex organic molecules called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are made up of interconnecting rings of carbon atoms. The observations provide astronomers with a window into understanding the ongoing chemical processes in interstellar clouds. The Near-InfraRed Camera (NIRCam) has captured light mostly from the stars and star clusters in the fringes of the spiral arms of the galaxy. Together, the observations reveal the dynamic processes at work in the galaxy, with ongoing star formation in the gas clouds along the fringes. Each star eats into the reservoir of gas and dust, the raw material from which stars are born.

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Stellar Life Cycles

When the stars run out of nuclear fuel, they violently shed their outer layers, introducing enriched material in the environment for the formation of a new generation of stars. Stars more massive than the Sun live fast and die young, in cataclysmic supernova explosions that can spread the stellar material across hundreds of light years. The observations were captured as part of a programme to better understand the exchange between gas and stars. The programme aims to study 55 nearby galaxies that are actively forming new stars, improving the understanding of how stars reshape their surrounding environment.

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Webb space telescope peers into nearby spiral galaxy

SUMMARY