FAST FACTS
What is it: Spiral galaxies NGC 2207 and IC 2163.
Where is it: 120 million light years away, in the constellation Canis Major.
When it was shared: December 1, 2025
According to JWST, one of the main tasks NASAThe goal is to provide scientists with a clear picture of galaxy merger centers and thereby inform a new generation of models that will describe how galaxies interact and merge. NGC 2207 and IC 2163 are ideal targets.
The image shows JWST mid-infrared data in white, gray and red, showing mostly dust and cooler material inside the cores and spiral arms of galaxies. Chandra's X-ray data is shown in blue, highlighting high-energy regions of the two galaxies—binary stars, remnants of dead stars, and regions where supernovae have occurred.
The spectacular layered image of NGC 2207 and IC 2163 is one of four Chandra composite images released simultaneously. The other three include NGC 6334, a star-forming region known for its arcs of glowing gas and dust; supernova remnant G272.2-0.3, where hot X-ray-emitting gas fills an expanding shell; and a star system called R Aquarius, where a white dwarf star is sucking material from a red giant star.
Each image combines Chandra's view of the high-energy Universe with data from JWST (launching 2021), Hubble Space Telescope (launched in 1990) and the Spitzer Space Telescope (active from 2003 to 2020), as well as ground-based telescopes.
More stunning space images can be found on our website. Archive of space photos of the week.
