The ‘whirlpool galaxy’ Messier 51, known for its sprawling and symmetrical appearance, is an impressive sight visible even to amateur astronomers using binoculars. However, the European Space Agency (ESA) has now unveiled new images of M51 taken by the James Webb Space Telescope, offering a perspective never seen before. Equipped with advanced infrared instruments, the telescope provides a clearer view of the cosmos by penetrating intergalactic dust and gaseous nebulae. Capturing images using its Near-InfraRed Camera (NIRCam) and Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI), Webb showcases the vivid details and ripples in the whirlpool galaxy like never before. These stunning images, released by the ESA, reveal warm thread-like dust filaments in dark red and areas of heated and ionized gases in orange and light yellow, resulting from clusters of recently formed stars nearby.
The project, known as FEAST (Feedback in Emerging extrAgalactic Star clusTers), led by researchers at Stockholm University, obtained exclusive access to the James Webb telescope for a year to collect data on distant stellar nurseries. FEAST aims to delve deeper into the dusty, gaseous clouds of these nurseries to gain fresh insights into how stars are formed through gravitational forces and other cosmic dynamics.
Comparing the new images from Webb’s NIRCam with the older ones from the Hubble Space Telescope, it becomes evident how infrared imaging enables Webb to penetrate the cosmic dust and gas surrounding M51’s spirals. The majestic spiral structure of M51 has fascinated astronomers since it was first discovered by French astronomer Charles Messier in 1773. While Messier catalogued numerous nebulae and star clusters, it was another 72 years before William Parsons, the third Earl of Rosse, observed and documented the whirlpool-like spirals of the M51 galaxy using a state-of-the-art reflecting telescope. Today, M51 is classified as a ‘grand design’ spiral galaxy, characterized by strong and well-defined spirals in its central region. Only one out of every ten spiral galaxies qualifies as a ‘grand design.’
The unique shape of M51’s spirals is attributed to the gravitational pull of its neighboring dwarf galaxy, NGC 5195. Webb’s imaging might also shed light on the formation of ‘brown dwarf’ stars and provide insights into the star formation cycle, metal enrichment, and the timelines for planet and brown dwarf formation within galaxies. Through these discoveries, scientists aim to deepen our understanding of the cosmos.
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