The James Webb Space Telescope, celebrating its second anniversary, captured stunning images of interacting galaxies known as Arp 142. Using infrared technology, Webb displayed the detailed interaction between the Penguin and Egg galaxies, revealing new star formations and providing insights into galactic dynamics and evolution. Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope shows a pair of entwined galaxies in infrared light, its latest release in an ongoing series of observations.
of The James Webb Space Telescope it operates around the clock, often surprising researchers with its highly detailed—and incredibly accurate—infrared images and data. These wavelengths of light, which extend beyond what our eyes can see, were largely inaccessible at this level of detail until Webb began taking science observations on July 12, 2022, on behalf of astronomers around the world.
To honor its second science anniversary, the telescope observed Arp 142, a pair of interacting galaxies nicknamed the Penguin and the Egg. The main image combines near- and mid-infrared light, which visually highlights how the galaxies are interacting – look for the pale blue upside-down U-shape enveloping both galaxies – along with a “star party”, a plethora of formation of the last days of the stars, in the penguin.
Webb’s infrared view of interacting galaxies Arp 142 appears to sing with primary colors. The background of space is like a dull darkness speckled with bright and colorful beads. This image was taken by MIRI, the telescope’s Medium Infrared Instrument, which astronomers use to study cooler and older objects, dust and extremely distant galaxies. Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI
The vivid portrait of interacting galaxies marks the second anniversary of the Webb Space Telescope
Two for two! A pair of interacting galaxies marks the second science anniversary of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, which conducts ongoing observations, including highly detailed images and data known as spectra. His actions have led to a “parade” of discoveries by astronomers around the world.
“Since President Biden and Vice President Harris unveiled the first image from the James Webb Space Telescope two years ago, Webb has continued to unlock the mysteries of the universe,” said. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “With incredible images from the corners of the cosmos, going back almost to the beginning of time, Webb’s capabilities are shedding new light on our celestial environment and inspiring future generations of scientists, astronomers and explorers.”
“In just two years, Webb has transformed our view of the universe, enabling the kind of world-class science that drove NASA to make this mission a reality,” said Mark Clampin, director of the Astrophysics Division at NASA Headquarters. in Washington. “Webb is providing insights into long-standing mysteries about the early universe and ushering in a new era of studying distant worlds as it returns images that inspire people around the world and poses exciting new questions to answer. It has never been more possible to explore every facet of the universe.”
This “penguin party” is loud! The distorted spiral galaxy in the center, the Penguin, and the compact elliptical galaxy to the left, the Egg, are locked in an active embrace. A new near- and mid-infrared image from the James Webb Space Telescope, taken to mark its second year of science, shows that their interaction is marked by a faint blue glow upside down.
The pair, known together as Arp 142, made their first pass between 25 and 75 million years ago – triggering “fireworks”, or new star formation, in Penguin. In the most extreme cases, mergers can cause galaxies to form thousands of new stars per year, for several million years. For Penguin, research has shown that about 100 to 200 stars are formed per year. By comparison, our own Milky Way galaxy (which is not interacting with a galaxy of the same size) forms approximately six to seven new stars per year.
Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI
Detailed observations of galactic interactions
The telescope’s specialization in capturing infrared light – which is beyond what our eyes can detect – shows these galaxies, known collectively as Arp 142, locked in a slow cosmic dance. The Webb observations, which combine near- and mid-infrared light from Webb’s NIRCam (Near infrared camera) and best (Mid-Infrared Instrument), respectively, clearly show that they are joined by a nebula represented in blue that is a mixture of stars and gas, as a result of their mixing.
Their ongoing interaction was set in motion between 25 and 75 million years ago, when Penguin (individually cataloged as NGC 2936) and Egg (NGC 2937) completed their first transit. They will continue to oscillate and oscillate, completing several additional loops before merging into a single galaxy hundreds of millions of years from now.
Two penguins, two eggs – two very different color schemes! The Hubble Space Telescope captured the visible light when it observed Arp 142, nicknamed the Penguin and the Egg, in 2013. At right is the James Webb Space Telescope’s near-infrared light view of the same region. Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI
The evolution of the penguin and the egg
Before their first approach, the Penguin held the shape of a spiral. Today, its galactic center shines like an eye, its intact wings now form a beak, head, spine and gaping tail.
Like all spiral galaxies, Penguin is still very rich in gas and dust. The galaxies’ “dance” gravitationally tugged on Penguin’s thinner regions of gas and dust, causing them to collide in waves and form stars. Look for those areas in two places: what looks like a fish on its “beak” and the “fins” on its “tail.”
Surrounding these younger stars is smoke-like material that includes carbon-containing molecules known as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which Webb is exceptional at detecting. Dust, seen as fainter and deeper orange arcs, also falls from its beak to its tail feathers.
In contrast, the compact shape of the egg remains largely unchanged. As an elliptical galaxy, it is filled with aging stars and has much less gas and dust that can be pulled in to form new stars. If both were spiral galaxies, each would complete the first “twist” with the formation of new stars and swirling curls, known as tidal tails.
Another reason for the Egg’s undisturbed appearance: These galaxies have roughly the same mass, or weight, which is why the smaller-looking ellipse wasn’t consumed or distorted by the Penguin.
This video visits Arp 142, a pair of interacting galaxies affectionately known as the Penguin and the Egg that lies 326 million light-years from Earth. The journey begins and ends with a new mid- and near-infrared image from the James Webb Space Telescope, and includes a brief fade to a visible-light image from Hubble Space Telescope. The pair are separated by just 100,000 light years – relatively close in astronomical terms. our Milky Way the galaxy and its nearest neighbor, the Andromeda galaxy, are separated by about 2.5 million light years. This tour shows what has happened since they interacted, including a blue mist that brings them together. Also look for contrasting views of the upper-right spiral galaxy, which “disappears” in Webb’s infrared view. Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Danielle Kirshenblat (STScI)
The larger context of galactic interactions
Penguin and the Egg are estimated to be about 100,000 light-years apart – quite close in astronomical terms. For context, the Milky Way galaxy and our nearest neighbor, the Andromeda Galaxy, are about 2.5 million light years apart. They will also interact, but not for about 4 billion years. (See video below.)
This scientific visualization of a computer simulation depicts the inevitable collision between our Milky Way galaxy and the Andromeda galaxy (also known as Messier 31). Observations by NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope show that the two galaxies, pulled together by their mutual gravity, will collide together in a near head-on collision about 4 billion years from now.
Now, look to the top right to spot a galaxy that isn’t in this party. This fringe galaxy, cataloged PGC 1237172, is 100 million light-years closer to Earth. It’s also quite young, full of young blue stars.
Want one more party trick? Switch to Webb’s mid-infrared-only image (second image on this page) to see the near-disappearance of PGC 1237172. The mid-infrared light captures mostly cooler, older stars and some incredible dust. Since the galaxy’s stellar population is so young, it “disappears” in mid-infrared light.
Also take a moment to scan the background. The Webb image is overflowing with distant galaxies. Some take on spiral and oval shapes, like those threaded throughout the Penguin’s “tail feathers,” while others scattered throughout are shapeless dots. This is a testament to the sensitivity and resolution of the telescope’s infrared instruments. (Compare Webb’s view with the 2018 observation that combines infrared light from NASA’s retired Spitzer Space Telescope and near-infrared and visible light from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope.) Although these observations took in just a few hours, Webb discovered far more distant, redder, and dustier galaxies than previous telescopes—one more reason to expect Webb to continue to expand our understanding of everything in the universe.
This visualization examines the three-dimensional structure of Arp 142, a pair of interacting galaxies nicknamed the Penguin and the Egg, as seen in near-infrared light from the James Webb Space Telescope.
Arp 142 is located 326 million light years from Earth in the constellation Hydra.
The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) is a large, space-based observatory launched on December 25, 2021, as the flagship science mission for NASA, ESA (European Space Agency), and the Canadian Space Agency. Designed as the scientific successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, JWST is equipped with a powerful array of instruments and a much larger mirror, 6.5 meters in diameter, allowing it to survey the universe in infrared light. This capability enables it to peer through clouds of cosmic dust and study the earliest stages of the universe, examining the formation of stars, galaxies and planetary systems and probing the atmospheres of exoplanets, potentially identifying signs of life. Positioned at the second Lagrangian point (L2), approximately 1.5 million kilometers from Earth, JWST offers unprecedented sensitivity and resolution, heralding a new era in astronomy.