Webb, Hubble team up to trace interstellar dust within a galactic pair

This text highlights knowledge from Webb science in progress, which has not but been via the peer-review course of. Right here, Webb interdisciplinary scientist Rogier Windhorst and his workforce focus on their observations.

“We obtained greater than we bargained for by combining knowledge from NASA’s James Webb Area Telescope and NASA’s Hubble Area Telescope! Webb’s new knowledge allowed us to hint the sunshine that was emitted by the intense white elliptical galaxy, at left, via the winding spiral galaxy at proper—and establish the results of interstellar dust within the spiral galaxy. This picture of galaxy pair VV 191 consists of near-infrared light from Webb, and ultraviolet and visible light from Hubble.”

“Webb’s near-infrared knowledge additionally present us the galaxy’s longer, extraordinarily dusty spiral arms in way more element, giving the arms an look of overlapping with the central bulge of the intense white elliptical galaxy on the left. Though the 2 foreground galaxies are comparatively shut astronomically talking, they don’t seem to be actively interacting.”

“VV 191 is the most recent addition to a small variety of galaxies that helps researchers like us instantly evaluate the properties of galactic dust. This goal was chosen from practically 2,000 superimposed galaxy pairs recognized by Galaxy Zoo citizen science volunteers.”

“Understanding the place dust is current in galaxies is necessary, as a result of dust adjustments the brightness and colours that seem in pictures of the galaxies. Mud grains are partially liable for the formation of latest stars and planets, so we’re all the time searching for to establish their presence for additional research.”

“The picture holds a second discovery that is simpler to miss. Look at the white elliptical galaxy at left. A faint pink arc seems within the inset at 10 o’clock. It is a very distant galaxy whose gentle is bent by the gravity of the elliptical foreground galaxy—and its look is duplicated. The stretched pink arc is warped the place it reappears—as a dot—at 4 o’clock. These pictures of the lensed galaxy are so faint and so pink that they went unrecognized in Hubble knowledge, however are unmistakable in Webb’s near-infrared picture. Simulations of gravitationally lensed galaxies like this assist us reconstruct how a lot mass is in particular person stars, together with how a lot dark matter is within the core of this galaxy.”

“Like many Webb pictures, this picture of VV 191 exhibits extra galaxies deeper and deeper within the background. Two patchy spirals to the higher left of the elliptical galaxy have related obvious sizes, however present up in very totally different colours. One is probably going very dusty and the opposite very distant, however we—or different astronomers—have to get hold of knowledge referred to as spectra to find out which is which.”

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Webb Area Telescope