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The James Webb Space Telescope has captured a stunning new view of two galaxies, nicknamed the Penguin and the Egg, locked in a cosmic dance to mark the observatory’s second anniversary.
Launched on December 25, 2021, the Webb telescope shared its first science observations of the universe on July 12, 2022. Since then, the premier observatory has offered unprecedented perspectives of the cosmos across wavelengths of infrared light, which is invisible to the human eye.
Webb’s keen gaze has been able to peer through otherwise obscuring gas and dust to spot distant galaxies, detect molecules in the atmospheres of exoplanets and highlight fine details within the explosions of stars.
“With remarkable images from the corners of the cosmos, going back nearly to the beginning of time, Webb’s capabilities are shedding new light on our celestial surroundings and inspiring future generations of scientists, astronomers, and explorers,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a statement.
And now, Webb has used its scientific instruments to create a detailed portrait of the intertwined Penguin and Egg galaxies, collectively called Arp 142, by combining observations in both near-infrared and mid-infrared light. The galaxies, so named because of their resemblance to a penguin guarding an egg, are 326 million light-years from Earth in the Hydra constellation.
A tale of two galaxies
Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera and Mid-Infrared Instrument reveal a blue haze, representing a mix of stars and gas, that show how the two galaxies are joined. They are about 100,000 light-years apart, which is close, astronomically speaking. For reference, the Milky Way galaxy’s closest neighbor is the Andromeda galaxy 2.5 million light-years away, and those two are expected to collide in about 4 billion years. One light-year, the distance light travels in a year, is 5.88 trillion miles (9.46 trillion kilometers).
Astronomers estimate that the Penguin and the Egg galaxies first interacted 25 million to 75 million years ago. Since then, their celestial dance has continued as they loop around each other. Millions of years from now, they will merge into a single galaxy.
The Hubble Space Telescope imaged the galactic duo in 2013 in visible light, seen on the left in the slider below, but Webb’s image captures previously unseen details through infrared.
Initially, the Penguin looked like a spiral, but over time, its appearance has been reshaped through interactions with the Egg galaxy. Now, the center of the galaxy serves as the Penguin’s eye, and its spiral arms have been unwound and resemble a beak, head, backbone and fanning tail.
The dance between the two galaxies has exerted a gravitational tug on parts of the Penguin, causing some of the gas and dust that fills the galaxy to collide and lead to waves of star formation. These stellar nurseries can be seen as feathers in the Penguin’s tail and what resembles a fish in its beak.
Smoky material surrounding the baby stars contains carbon molecules, while the faint orange represents dust. In the background of the image are distant spiral and oval-shaped galaxies.
Meanwhile, the oval-shaped Egg galaxy remains much the same. Full of aging stars, the galaxy contains less gas and dust than the Penguin, so its structure hasn’t been disturbed. And since both galaxies have about the same mass, the Penguin hasn’t overtaken the Egg.
A visualization of the Webb portrait, shared by NASA, enables viewers to “fly” through the new image of the galaxies, seen below.
Astronomers estimate that the Webb telescope will operate for at least 20 years, providing a unique way of studying the universe and solving some of its many mysteries.
“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 NASA’s Astrophysics Division, in a statement.
“Webb is providing insights into longstanding mysteries about the early universe and ushering in a new era of studying distant worlds, while returning images that inspire people around the world and posing exciting new questions to answer. It has never been more possible to explore every facet of the universe.”