Smile for the camera! An interaction between an elliptical galaxy and a spiral galaxy, collectively known as Arp 107, seems to have given the spiral a happier outlook thanks to the two bright “eyes” and the wide semicircular “smile.” The region has been observed before in infrared by NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope in 2005, however NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope displays it in much higher resolution. This image is a composite, combining observations from Webb’s MIRI (Mid-Infrared Instrument) and NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera).
Image A: Arp 107 (NIRCam and MIRI Image)
This composite image of Arp 107, created with data
from the James Webb Space Telescope’s NIRCam (Near-Infrared Camera) and MIRI
(Mid-Infrared Instrument), reveals a wealth of information about the
star-formation and how these two galaxies collided hundreds of million years
ago.
NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI
NIRCam highlights the stars within
both galaxies and reveals the connection between them: a transparent, white
bridge of stars and gas pulled from both galaxies during their passage. MIRI
data, represented in orange-red, shows star-forming regions and dust that is
composed of soot-like organic molecules known as polycyclic aromatic
hydrocarbons. MIRI also provides a snapshot of the bright nucleus of the large
spiral, home to a supermassive black hole.
Image B: Arp 107 (MIRI Image)
This image of Arp 107, shown by Webb’s MIRI
(Mid-Infrared Instrument), reveals the supermassive black hole that lies in the
center of the large spiral galaxy to the right. This black hole, which pulls
much of the dust into lanes, also display’s Webb’s characteristic diffraction
spikes, caused by the light that it emits interacting with the structure of the
telescope itself.
NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI
The spiral galaxy is classified as
a Seyfert galaxy, one of the two largest groups of active galaxies, along with galaxies that host quasars. Seyfert galaxies aren’t as luminous and distant as
quasars, making them a more convenient way to study similar phenomena in lower
energy light, like infrared.
This galaxy pair is similar to
the Cartwheel Galaxy, one of the first interacting galaxies that Webb
observed. Arp 107 may have turned out very similar in appearance to the
Cartwheel, but since the smaller elliptical galaxy likely had an off-center
collision instead of a direct hit, the spiral galaxy got away with only its
spiral arms being disturbed.
The collision isn’t as bad as it
sounds. Although there was star formation occurring before, collisions between
galaxies can compress gas, improving the conditions needed for more stars to
form. On the other hand, as Webb reveals, collisions also disperse a lot of
gas, potentially depriving new stars of the material they need to form.
Webb has captured these galaxies in
the process of merging, which will take hundreds of millions of years. As the
two galaxies rebuild after the chaos of their collision, Arp 107 may lose its
smile, but it will inevitably turn into something just as interesting for
future astronomers to study.
Arp 107 is located 465 million
light-years from Earth in the constellation Leo Minor.
Video: Tour the Arp 107 Image
Video tour transcript
Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI,
Danielle Kirshenblat (STScI)
The James Webb Space Telescope is the world’s premier space science observatory. Webb is solving mysteries in our solar system, looking beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probing the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and CSA (Canadian Space Agency).
Source: NASA’s Webb Provides Another Look Into Galactic Collisions - NASA Science
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